Bon Voyage
by tomhardysblackbry
Summary: Bella is trapped in the small town of Forks, lost in a world where she feels like she doesn’t belong. With a desire to get away from her now remarried family, what will the senior trip to Europe have in store for her? AU/AH M for future lemony goodness
1. Chapter 1: Nosebleed

**Disclaimer: This is my first fan fic so please be patient. **

**SM owns the stuff… I'm just piddling in my free time.**

* * *

I was ready to get out of Forks. Ready to break out on my own and be free of this dull and lifeless town. I had vowed 2 years ago when my mom practically begged me to move in with my dad that I was getting the hell out of dodge as soon as I graduated high school. Now that my dad had remarried that vow was more important than ever. Both of my parents were happy with their new partners and I was still alone. I tried to date, but honestly the boys here just didn't get me, too caught up in the ways of small town life to know much about big city ideas. Not to mention it was horribly embarrassing to walk into school on Monday after a date with someone like Mike Newton. Everyone knew where you went, what you did, or in my case, didn't do.

I had no desire to give anything away to any boy that could match up to my intelligence level. So a quick peck on the cheek at the end of a date was all I was willing to offer. I was fine with it, just as long as I could remain friends with these boys at school, I'm sure they could satisfy their more primal desires elsewhere. I'd successfully kept my virtue through my entire high school pilgrimage. Any parent's dream… I wonder if they made awards for that.

Now that the last few weeks of senior year were winding down, I had to focus on a lot of things to keep my priorities straight. Finals were next week, which were shaping up to be a piece of cake. I had a few more college applications to mail out before the deadlines arrived. I had told my parents that I wanted to go to UCLA so I could at least be close to Phoenix and Forks. What I hadn't told them is that I applied to NYU and submitted my most dazzling application there. I prayed day and night the school would accept me into their arts program. The further away from this "big happy family" syndrome I could get doing something I loved, the better.

Then there were the senior trip plans that the school had thrown together at the beginning of this year. Apparently in this town the school makes a senior trip somewhere as an entire class right after graduation. This year the staff had planned a 10 day trip to Europe, stopping in England, France, Germany, Italy, Greece then wrapping things up in Spain before heading home. While I dreaded being stuck in hotels and trains with the majority of my fellow classmates, all of my friends were going and I definitely wanted to see Europe before I headed off to college.

I scanned through the paper I was finishing up for AP English on my Mac Book outside during lunch. It was one of the rare sunny days in Washington and everyone was enjoying the weather. Mike Newton sat on the picnic table to my right talking to Eric Yorkie. Jessica Stanley was buzzing in my ear about her weekend plans. Angela Weber had her nose buried in the latest Sookie Stackhouse book across from me and Tyler Crowley was off throwing a football around with the jocks. Ben Cheney was out sick for the day, allergies or something. All of us made up what Jessica liked to dub as "the crew". We hung out together in school, out of school and always had each other's backs.

I typed up the last line when a football hit the table and bounced right into my face.

"Hey Tyler!" Mike yelled across the small space, "Why don't you watch where the fuck you're aiming?!"

Mike, ever the over protective guard dog.

"Mike, I'm fine." I winced as I pawed my nose. I didn't think it was broken…

"So fine that you're about to bleed all over yourself?" he smirked.

"Umm yea."

I pulled my fingers from under my nose and fresh crimson littered my fingertips. 'Great' I thought. Just what I needed, another trip to the nurse's office. About that time Tyler ran over to our table to give his apologizes for bad aim and retrieve the football. Jessica was still in shock and Angela's mouth was hanging open on the other side of her paperback.

"You might want to shut that Ang, you'll catch a fly in that thing." I chuckled.

Her jaws shut with an audible snap and her eyes wrinkled with a smile. Eric came running back to the table with a wad of cheap cafeteria napkins. This wasn't exactly the first time I'd been injured since moving here and my little band of buds were ever the ready for my bleeding, broken or clumsy episodes.

I held the napkins to my nose and shut my laptop with my other hand. Thankfully Jessica emerged from her stupor in time to help load my books and stuff back into my bag and help me carry it to the nurse's office.

"So I know this is probably a really bad time to ask this, but do you want to go shopping with me this weekend? I need some new clothes before we go on the senior trip." Jessica chirped in my ear.

A few students wandering the halls gave me strange looks as we passed them. Me with bloody napkins pushed to my face and Jessica being her overly chipper self asking about shopping. Why did the nurse have to be on the other side of the campus?

"Um where do you plan on going?" I asked in a nasally mono tone.

"Seattle silly! I told you outside! Did you not hear anything I said?"

She looked hurt, and I didn't like to see her pout but I honestly just remember a steady buzzing in my ear, not coherent words or locations.

"Sorry Jess," I smiled through the paper, "I was a little… distracted."

"So do you want to go? I was thinking about asking Angela and we could make a total girl's night out if you want. I think my parents would be okay if the two of you spent the night since it will be a whole day thing…"

I nodded my head in agreement and made tentative plans pending on permission from my dad and step-mom. I hated that I now had to get her blessing on everything as well. At least mom's husband Phil would let me be free to do as I please. With my mom's free spirit ways he just knew better than to hold me down.

We rounded the last corner as Jessica buzzed on and I could see the nurse's door down the hall. The clock hanging in the hallway told me I had about 15 minutes to get in and get out before AP English started. I needed to turn in this paper and be done with it. About midway down the hall Lauren Mallory aka the school bitch emerged from the girl's bathroom putting her lip gloss back into her Louis Vuitton purse. No doubt she had just finished up some heavy petting with her latest fling and had to readjust her makeup before merging back into full bitch mode. She heard my sneakers squeak on the titles and turned to glare at us, her blonde hair swishing with the movement.

"Trip and smash up your face again Bella? Too bad you never had much material to work with." she sneered and clicked off in her heels the opposite direction.

When she was out of earshot I looked to Jessica and rolled my eyes.

"What a bitch," we chimed in unison.

The nurse's office was empty as we entered the doorway. Ms. Avery jumped up from behind her desk when she saw me enter. Unlike the nurse last year, she didn't make me sign in and go through the 20 questions to find out what was wrong. I silently thanked the gods for that. She led me to the back room and I hopped up onto the examining table making the paper guard crackle. Jessica filled the empty seat in the corner and started playing with her phone. Probably texting Angela since she felt it was her duty to stay with me until I was released or she was hoping to get out of Chemistry. Either way I was happy to have her company.

Ms. Avery strapped on some latex gloves and removed the wadded up napkins from my nose. The bleeding had slowed as she had enough time to pass me hand sanitizer to clean up my fingers. She took a cotton ball and applied some cleaning agent and cleaned up the area before taking a closer look. The smell burned my nose and I winced as I reflexively wrinkled it in distaste. It hurt, but no where near as bad as when I had broken it when I was 10. Flipping over the handlebars of your bike and landing face down on the asphalt was not fun.

Jessica noticed my wince between texts.

"Do you think its broken Ms. Avery?" she questioned.

"No," she responded in her little British accent, "Just a lil' sore from the impact. The bleeding is almost done it seems. How'd you manage this one Bella?"

My cheeks turned a light pink. Ms. Avery had been handling my mishaps all this year and I'd lost count after 20.

"I was minding my own business when all of a sudden…"

"Tyler Crowley chucked a football in her face," Jessica blurted out not looking up from her current text.

"It was an accident," I assured Ms. Avery after hearing her audible gasp.

I heard the first bell to release the lunch crowd chime out in the hallway. 'Wonderful' I thought to myself as I prayed for the bleeding to stop. Unlike Jessica, I hated missing a class, even if it was one where I had read most of the material they were working on. I didn't want to miss out on turning in this fabulous report on the beginnings of American literature. I spotted Jessica smiling at me from the corner as she watched my eyes bounce from the wall clock to the door. She knew I only had about 5 minutes until the late bell rang.

I looked glumly at Ms. Avery.

"Do you think I can make it to AP English?" I questioned, growing more nervous every second.

"Sure Bella, if you can stay out of harms way I don't see why not."

The bleeding must have stopped so I grabbed my backpack and purse from the end of the examining table and hopped down making the paper crackle again. I shot Jessica a smile of victory and a thank you and bounded off down the hall.

I must have looked like a hot mess as I skid into the doorway of my English class, my sneakers making a terrible screeching sound on the hallway titles. All of my class was staring at me, even the teacher as I crossed the threshold right as the bell rang. I smoothed my wild hair back and took my seat.

Angela peered at me from the seat next to me in the back row. While I liked going to class, I didn't exactly like being up front where the teachers liked to call on students from. Too much attention was brutal and embarrassing. Angela saved me seats whenever she was here, fighting off the jock boys like a mean cat. This was our row and she let everyone know it.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I slid it out as Mr. Dorcey turned to write the assignments for the day on the board. I had 3 text messages, one from Mike, one from Jessica and the last had just come in from Angela. Angela wanted to know if I was okay, Jessica wanted to confirm I was going to ask my dad about this weekend and to inform me I needed to powder my nose "Rudolph" and Mike also asked if I was okay and to inform me that he'd given Tyler an earful after he found out from Jessica I was okay. I chuckled inwardly at the vast difference in my little network; All so different but a part of a whole. I locked my phone and shoved it back into my pocket so I could concentrate on the class work.

Thankfully Thursday was my short day since I didn't have to take gym as a senior. I'm sure my dad as well as the nurse's budget for supplies was thankful for that blessing. After emailing Mr. Dorcey my paper and getting a response to see him after class I hung out at my desk for a few prolonged minutes. Most of the other kids were gone or filing out to head off to their last class of the day. After packing up my things, I approached his desk quietly. I'd hoped that the paper was as spectacular to him as it was to me when I wrote it.

"Have a seat Ms. Swan." he motioned. I plopped into the first desk in the row.

"Bella is fine." I mumbled under my breath. I'd been correcting him all year.

"So I had a look at your report for the final project and I must say I'm amazed. I think you have great potential in the field of English histories."

I smiled. I didn't want to be a teacher or someone that studied the workings of past English literature. I liked books and I liked reading them but I loved art more than anything.

"I also wanted to extend the offer to you for letters of recommendation for your college applications should you still need one."

"I have a few left to send out this weekend," I replied. Even if I wasn't going into the field of English, a few more teachers than I already had vouching for me couldn't hurt.

"I'll have 5 typed up and sealed for you tomorrow afternoon. Be sure to stop by and pick them up." He turned back to whatever he was looking at as the late bell rang for final period. I took that as my mark of being dismissed.

I adjusted my backpack as I walked out to the parking lot to get in my truck. I looked up to see that the sky was slowly clouding back up covering the warm sun. Hopefully the rain would hold off long enough. My truck stuck out like a beacon now even though it was older than all of the cars in the parking lot. My dad's new wife had insisted that Charlie have it painted to cover the rust and flaking paint that used to litter the sides. I loved it the way it was, but after many arguments with my dad I finally just gave in. It wasn't worth fighting with him over something he couldn't control. She was running his life and I hated it. The bright red reminded me of her fake fingernails.

I couldn't be mad at my truck because of her foolishness; it had served me well for the past 2 years. It's a shame I couldn't take it to New York. The poor thing wouldn't survive the trip, that's **if** I got in.

I opened the door and slid across the bench seat into position. I noticed a Post It note on my windshield and groaned because I had to get it off before going anywhere. Who in the world does stuff like that? I climbed out and grabbed the intruding slip of paper and peered at it curiously. It was Mike's handwriting.

"You, Me, Saturday night First Beach." – M

I groaned again, more audibly this time. Last time I went out with Mike was right before junior prom and it was mainly just to get him to stop asking. I knew he wanted me to go to prom with him but I vehemently refused not only to save myself the money, but the embarrassment. We ended up going to the movies and while it was fun, it was awkward. He wanted to sit in the back row and make out and I wanted to do anything but that. We ended the night with a quick hug on my porch and that was it. He told everyone in "the crew" and in the junior class that he was going to kiss me but my dad was watching through the curtains with his gun on his side so he chickened out.

Why Mike thought it was a good idea to lust after me when I didn't want to be anything more than friends was beyond me. I knew Jessica had the hots for him and Lauren was attempting to have her way with him whenever she could get her claws out of her current fling. But why me? I wasn't anything special or even beautiful in comparison to the other girls in my class. I was average with my brown hair and brown eyes. I dressed in a non-attention grabbing fashion and didn't market myself as anything more than a good student and a great friend. So why me?

Fat rain drops started falling on my windshield and I realized I'd been sitting in the parking lot pondering things for 30 minutes alone. I shut my truck door in a hurry and turned the key that brought my truck to life. It still sounded like a monster when it ran, but I refused to budge on "fixing" anything else that wasn't wrong with it.

I drove home in silence, humming a tune in my head as I usually did. While the rain was calming, it also made me sleepy but I wasn't into the few radio stations my truck radio could pick up. I pulled into the driveway thanking my lucky stars that the house would be empty. Maybe I'd get lucky and I could finish laundry and dinner before either of them came home. I could hide out in my bedroom all night.

My sneakers squeaked on the drive way as I locked my truck and ran for the covered porch. It had started to rain extremely harder than necessary giving how nice the weather was this morning. I sighed and fished through my keys until I located my house key. I smiled at my Skelanimals keycap that Angela had given me for my birthday. I liked weird things like that.

I about jumped out of my skin when the front door suddenly opened without my assistance. Someone was on the other side of the screen door, blue eyes bearing into mine.

* * *

**A/N: So there you have it… chapter one of the fun inside my head. Did I do okay?**

**Playlist I jammed for this chapter:**

**Silversun Pickups – Panic Switch**

**Motion City Soundtrack – Make Out Kids**

**Manchester Orchestra – I've Got Friends**


	2. Chapter 2: The Hardest Part

**A/N: Thanks for the fantastic reviews! I love comments on my work so keep the love coming. :)**

**Need to thank **isnoggedmalfoy **&** silvrrayz **for reading these ahead of time. They are the Chris Martins to my piano.**

**Part of this chapter I based off of personal experience, but I'm not confessing which one.**

**

* * *

  
**

My step mom was standing in the doorway tapping her fake nails on the back of the door. The smell of her strong perfume wafted through the screen door and nearly knocked me backwards with an invisible punch. She chewed her gum with the most obnoxious popping noise that it reminded me of a cow chewing its cud. I glared at her through the screen after finally regaining my composure. She shouldn't have been home, her car wasn't even here.

Evelyn was raised in what I would consider the backwoods of Mississippi and moved to Washington when her father transferred in the military. She was a typical southern girl attempting to be a debutant and failing miserably at her age. With bleach blonde hair and her bright red acrylic nails, she'd been working at the diner my dad knew and loved since she was a teen. It wasn't until recently that he actually took the time to notice her, considering he was too busy wallowing in his own misery over the divorce with my mother Renee. Evelyn swooped in with her steak and baked potatoes and stole my dad from me and I totally resented her for it.

"Afternoon Isabella! Good to have you home!" she squeaked in her too-highly pitched voice.

I grunted a greeting and pushed past her to head up the stairs to my room. The faster I could get to my hideaway, the faster I could escape her never-ending questions. I hated being assaulted with constant ponderings of my daily schedule. It was my life, I wasn't about to give it over to her like my dad so willingly did.

My phone buzzed in my pocket as I clicked my bedroom door closed. Jessica had text me to ask about the note Mike left on my truck. God that boy had a big mouth.

'Don't worry,' I text back to assure her, 'My plans for Saturday do NOT include Mike Newton. Pass it on.' I could only hope with Jessica delivering the news that she could offer up some sort of hint that I wasn't interested in him.

I laid out my PJ pants and a cami so I could change after grabbing a shower. I didn't have any place to be and thankfully no one was coming over. I stepped out of my room on the way to the bathroom when I noticed the bathroom door was closed and I could hear the shower running. Just great, Evelyn would be in there for at least an hour hogging all of the hot water then leaving powder to cover the entire room. It's a shame that when my dad thought to upgrade and get a new wife, he didn't upgrade the house and build a second bathroom.

I heard a knock on the door downstairs and I pulled my hair into a ponytail as I walked down the steps to answer it. I peeped through the peephole to see the top of a cowboy hat and a huge white grin standing behind it.

"Hey Jacob! Billy." I smiled as I opened the door to let them in, "What's up?"

"Your dad called and said he'd be home soon. Something about Evelyn's car that was messing up," Billy Black replied.

So that's why she was home…

"Cool." I followed them into the living room as Jacob cut on the TV.

"Yeah, apparently the shop they towed it to can't fix the problem but I told Charlie I'd take a look at it before he scraped the thing," Jacob smiled as he eyeballed me from the easy chair. I knew that he was familiar with a lot about cars, but he knew my dad's short fuse when it came to things he couldn't fix.

I heard the tow truck backing up to put the car under the carport. Evelyn had asked that Charlie get one if not for all of the cars then at least for hers. Not like a 1993 Chevy Camero was any big news to me, but a lot of the boys at the diner still drooled over it.

The front door unlocked and swung open a few moments later and I heard my step mom bouncing down the stairs to greet my dad with a kiss. I winced as I heard their lips smack together then glared at Jacob as he attempted to cover his snickering.

"Hey Billy… Jacob. Thanks for stopping by on such short notice," Charlie greeted the men in the room, "Hey sweetie. How was your day at school?"

"Not too bad. Tyler Crowley managed to make my nose bleed from 30 ft away and Mr. Dorcey is writing up some recommendation letters for me."

Jacob, Billy and Charlie were all gawking at my nose now, looking for any signs of bruising, blood or broken bones.

"Ms. Avery said it was fine… it was just a football." I shrugged it off.

"Yea Bella, just a football to your face. No big deal." Jacob's laugh boomed through my living room.

Charlie just shook his head. After last year with all of my accidents, having a bloody nose was considered pretty minor in both of our books.

"The car's out back under the carport Jacob. The shop said it definitely needed a new starter after Evelyn tried to crank it up so many times. Other than that they can't figure out what's wrong." This was Charlie's way of shooing Jacob and I out of the house so he and Billy could watch TV without the kids talking.

"Okay. Come on Bella!" Jacob beckoned. He almost reached for my hand like we were kids again, heading outside to make mud pies or play on the beach, but he thought better of it and stuck his hand in his pocket.

I followed him out onto the back porch which was covered and screened in. I'd sit out here when the weather wasn't so terrible and look at things online or finish homework. It was quiet and peaceful. The rain was still coming down in buckets as we looked out to where the carport stood in the backyard. There was no way we would make it without getting drenched.

"Looks like we're going to have to make a run for it. Want a piggy back ride out there?" Jacob grinned.

While he was built well enough to carry me easily across the yard, I didn't want to have to put that burden on him or myself. Trying to fend off boys at school without giving them the wrong idea was one thing. But trying to do the same thing with Jacob, my best friend from childhood was something else entirely. I was pretty sure that if I accepted his offer, I wouldn't be able to ignore the way his muscles moved under his thin wet shirt, the smell of his damp skin as we sprinted through the rain or the warmth of his back against my chest. I may not be interested in him in a boyfriend material kind of way, but my hormones weren't dead.

"Bella?"

"Nah I'll be okay." I said snapping out of my thought process.

"Suit yourself."

The screen door flew open and he completely leapt over the steps as he bolted for the carport. I didn't think I had ever seen him run so fast just to get out of the rain, or maybe he was just showing off since I had turned him down. I could see his legs pumping as hard as they could go carrying him across the yard like a gazelle being chased in the wild. It took him less than a minute to reach the safety of the dryness under the carport cover. There was no way I was getting there that fast.

I eyed the back door to the house then the carport over and over as Jacob watched and grinned at me from the other side of the yard. Should I just go grab my coat from in the house or suck it up and run? After a few prolonged moments I decided to make a run for it. I threw open the screen door and made it down the steps in a hurry. I was running at a pretty good clip across the wet grass and I could see Jacob smile get bigger and bigger as I got closer. Then suddenly his eyebrows furrowed into one straight line and his mouth was in a position to yell. My whole world was tilting on its axis as I heard the splash of a puddle and my feet come out from under me. I was going to collide with the ground hard if I didn't do something, so I stuck out my hands and managed to only land on my knee instead.

I could see the relief cross Jacob's features as I got up and walked the rest of the way to the carport. Sure, I'd be soaked as a wet rat but I was going to be getting close to gravel as I approached the driveway and that was going to hurt if I fell again.

"You should have taken me up on my offer." Jacob grinned as I reached the dry covered area.

I shrugged and started towards the car as I let the rain and mud soak me through to the bones.

****

Later that evening I was sitting on my bed in my PJ's with my Mac book in hand. I had finished all of my homework and thankfully because of finals there was none left for the rest of the year. I typed my mom a quick email, rambling on about my step mom, the weather and hanging out under a car with Jacob. I told her I was going shopping this Saturday since both Charlie and Evelyn had approved. They had both decided to add in that I needed better clothes than what I had for the summer trip. How nice of them. I sent off the mail and clicked off my light in preparation of going to bed. The rain had slowed but I could still hear it on the roof, just light enough that it would ease me to sleep.

****

Friday passed without any major hiccups. I turned in all of my work, even the stuff that wasn't due until Monday just to get it out of the way. I had gotten my schedule for my finals at the end of each class, so it looked like I was only going to have to be at school Monday and Tuesday of next week before my high school journey ended forever. I felt the relief wash over me as I realized there was only two more days of this mindless torture before I got to start my real life. I picked up my letters of recommendation from Mr. Dorcey at the end of the day and made my way out to the student parking lot.

Even though the sky was overcast and threatening to drizzle, everyone was hanging out in the parking lot since school had just let out. I spotted Angela and Ben getting into his car to head home and get out of the lot before a line formed. Tyler and Eric were talking next to his mom's car a few spots down from mine. Then I saw Mike, leaning against the rear fender of my truck with Jessica stomping her foot and looking rather furious with him. I wasn't sure why the argument was at my vehicle, but I didn't want to find out.

I made my way around the front end of my truck and got the driver's door open before Mike got around to noticing me. He grabbed the door as I was about to shut it, holding it in place and keeping me from escaping. Apparently Jessica's message wasn't hint enough.

"So you're ditching our date at First Beach to have a girl's weekend with Jess?" he asked. He didn't look happy.

I furrowed my brow as Jessica came stomping up behind him to scream at him some more. I really wasn't in the mood for this.

"No Mike, I'm not ditching 'our date'," I held up my fingers to accent the words, "because we never had a date and I'm not your girlfriend. I figured you'd get the hint when I sent Jessica to tell you yesterday."

"But I don't get it Bella, we have such good chemistry and…"

I cut him off holding up my hand to make him stop.

"It's all in your head Mike and it's completely one sided. I like you as a **friend** and I don't think that I can stress that enough. Nothing more and nothing less." I was trying to be nice. I didn't want to humiliate him publicly since we were starting to draw an audience.

Jessica crossed her arms and smirked at his back.

"See, I told you so," she prodded. She was clearly enjoying the fact she'd won the fight after all.

Mike slammed my truck door so hard that I thought the damn thing was going to fall off. The noise reverberated through the cabin and made my ears hurt. I could see the shock on Jessica's face as she watched Mike walk off to his truck. The anger was coming off him in waves, and I wasn't sure if I had put them there or if it was Jessica's fight, probably a combination of both. Just what I needed before a trip with them half way around the world.

I drove home and was met by the vast silence in my house. Jacob had fixed Evelyn's car so she'd be working at the diner all night. I was still amazed that he managed to get the car running again after the damage she'd caused. Jacob tried to explain what was wrong with it, but I was too enamored with his hands working on the vehicle to pay attention to his words. I'd catch blips of conversation and nod my head or pass him a tool, but for the most part I was enthralled in his process of mechanics.

I sighed and carried my bags to my room. If only I were that good at something…

Truth was I was good at a few things. I could cook the aprons off of anyone in this house or Jacob's. It was a shame Charlie felt the need to eat at the diner a lot to be with Evelyn. When I made dinner, it was like watching Food Network in our tiny little kitchen. It used to be fun in Phoenix since mom couldn't cook at all. Here in Forks, I never got the opportunity; dad would either bring home dinner or eat at the diner. Such a talent lost to convenience of fast food. Then there was my artistic talent, but there just wasn't enough room to paint and sculpt when your step mom takes over your art room.

After showering and making up a quick dinner, my phone chimed four times. Did everyone text me at once?

The first message was from Jessica.

'My house at 8 am sharp. We leave at 9.' Was she nuts?!

The second message was from Angela, confirming what I thought. Jessica was indeed crazy for asking me to be awake and ecstatic about shopping at 8 am.

The third was a message from Mike.

'I'm sorry I'm such an ass. ' I typed back a quick 'It's okay' to make him feel better. I couldn't stay mad at anyone for long.

The fourth was an alert that I had a new email from my mom.

I flipped open my Mac Book and scanned through the email as I ate my dinner. Per usual, Renee had to give you an update on her entire life and play a quick game of 20 questions before getting to any sort of point. The final paragraph is where I almost choked on my spaghetti. A brief explanation and a ton of apologizes but she regretted that she couldn't come to my graduation. Apparently Phil had some sort of meeting in Florida and she needed to be with him. What?! Miss your only daughter's graduation for a meeting?

I lost my appetite immediately and closed my laptop forcefully. As I cleaned up my dishes, I ran through all of the nasty things I wanted to write in a response to her. Things about step parents ruining my life; things about how Phil was more important to her than me. I grabbed my computer from the kitchen table and stomped up the stairs, feeling powerful listening to my loud noise reverb through the house. But when I hit my bedroom I lost all my steam, my bed called out to me, begging me to curl up in its linens and take comfort from rest. I sat my computer on my desk and flipped back the comforter, feeling the tears streak down my cheeks. In truth, it wasn't step parents that ruined my life; they just provided a way for my parents to move on when I wasn't ready to. I wept until the black wave of sleep washed over me.

****

The next day with Jessica and Angela was a massive blur. Charlie woke me up after Jessica had called the house 5 times in a row looking for me. I confessed to him about my mom's email, needless to say he wasn't happy about it. Jessica was peeved when I got to her house, we were running an hour behind her schedule, but after a brief explanation she lightened up. How I ended up with 5 bags of new clothes at the end of it all I wasn't sure. I didn't feel like I was shopping, just moving from store to store watching Jess and Ang try on various things. I had to assume they picked out things for me after they figured out my sizes. When it was time to head back to Forks from Seattle, I feigned being sick to get out of the sleep over. I'd been a party pooper all day long, no need to keep that train rolling all night long as well.

I walked past my dad and step mom cuddling on the couch and waddled up the stairs with my huge bags. Setting them down in my room made my bedroom look so small. What had they really picked out for me?

I was unpacking the bags with gasps and a wrinkled brow when I heard a light tap of nails on the door. Evelyn peeped her head in to scope out what I was doing. This was right up her alley.

"Come in." I motioned with the clothes hanger in my hand.

She shut the door behind her and almost tip toed around the bags on the floor to sit on my bed. Thankfully she had showered and didn't drown herself in perfume. I'm sure I would have died of suffocation in this tiny room. She took a look at the quantity of bags and then at the number of new clothes with tags hanging in my closet before furrowing her brow as well. Buying this much stuff was really out of character for someone like me.

"Well I came to see what ya got, but I didn't expect it to be this much!" she giggled.

"Take a look around. I'm sure I won't wear all of them. Maybe some could fit you?" I could be nice to her when I wanted to be.

Her face lit up and she began browsing the stuff I already had hung up. She pulled a few backless shirts that I told her I wouldn't wear in public and a thong bikini that was in a bag on the floor. All really slutty material that I'm positive Jessica threw in for pure enjoyment on her end.

As she went to leave my room, Evelyn turned in the doorway to watch me hang up another shirt. I noticed she pursed her lips in thought, so something was coming.

"I'm really sorry about your mom Bella," she apologized staring at the carpet, "Your father and I will still be there and we invited Jacob and Mr. Black if you don't mind."

"Thanks," I muttered. It was all I could manage without the tears streaking mascara down my cheeks again. I turned to grab another shirt as I heard the door click closed behind her.

I finally finished putting all the clothes away just before midnight. I still hadn't mustered up the courage to write my mother a reply and not be nasty about it. Maybe she would take my silence as a hint that I was hurting? I crawled into bed with my iPod and turned on my Coldplay playlist to drift off to sleep. A live version of 'The Hardest Part' began to play and Chris Martin's crooning softly lulled me into sleep. I was going to need every bit of it I could get to be refreshed and ready to study tomorrow for my finals.

"One more week," I whispered to myself. One more week until freedom…

* * *

**Playlist**

**Breaking Benjamin – Simple Design**

**The Academy Is – Summer Hair = Forever Young**

**Foo Fighters – Best of You**

**Anberlin – Dismantle. Repair**

**Coldplay – The Hardest Part / Postcards From Far Away**

**A/N: You'll learn quickly I love Coldplay more than oxygen at times. **

**Hope you liked this chapter as much as the last! Only a few days til Bella makes her trip to Europe!**

**Comments are love, so start spreading them plzkthx. :D  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Ring of Fire

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to update! I promise I'll try to be more prompt in the future.**

**Big thanks to isnoggedmalfoy and druscilla831 for combing over this one for me. :D**

**There's some dresses in this chapter and other things in this chapter. If you want to have a look, I've linked them in my profile. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight, the characters or the computer I wrote this chapter on. I'm just playing in SM's sandbox.**

**

* * *

**I woke up Sunday with the sun filtering its way through the multi-colored curtains I had made last summer. Pretty pink, purple, blue and green rays kissed my white comforter and made me smile. I docked my iPod into my stereo and turned on Chairlift's Bruises as I danced around my bed cleaning up my room. I thought the news from my mother would rock my world upside down for the next week. I was almost positive as I fell asleep Saturday night that I wasn't going to get over it and I'd bomb my exams this week. I was wrong. I had decided that the day was just too nice to waste on feeling bad about my situation, so I was tucking those feelings away for now.

I checked the weather before fishing clothes out of my now filled closet. It was supposed to be warm today which was a surprising relief. I grabbed a pair of cut off shorts and a thin long sleeved shirt and made my way to the bathroom.

After a quick shower and getting ready, I grabbed a quick bowl of cereal in the kitchen before grabbing a blanket and heading outside with my Mac Book. The sun was much warmer outside than through the filtered glass and curtains in my room. I smiled to the sky and let the rays warm my face before I spread out the blanket to study.

I ended up staying outside much longer than I had anticipated. I could feel my pale skin starting to tingle with a burn on the back of my legs as I finished off the last of my notes for Physics. I grabbed up my things and headed back into the house before I turned into a lobster.

I could hear my phone ringing upstairs as I came through the backdoor. Whoever it was would have to wait, I'd already fallen down the stairs once with my laptop before. No need to try that out again.

I crested the top of the stairs five minutes later, after taking the time to put the blanket away and making my way to my room. My phone started ringing again, but it was Jessica's ringtone this time.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bella! Where have you been?! I've been calling you the past hour!" she nearly killed my ear drum with her squealing excitement.

"I was outside studying. Some of us are concerned about our finals you know?" I added the last part on under my breath.

"Oh," she paused for a breath, "Well you need to be outside here, right now!"

"Where's here?" I couldn't really hear anything in the background.

"First Beach."

I should have known. It was warm and everyone went down to the reservation when the weather was nice.

"I don't know Jess. I've got more studying to do," I lied. I was more than ready for my two days of finals.

"Oh come on Bella! You owe me!"

She was right. I had been a huge drag yesterday.

"Okay I'll be there in a few. I need sunscreen."

"Ooo!" she squealed, "Are you going to wear that new bathing suit?" I could hear her chuckling.

"No Jessica," I laced my tone with acid, "But you'll be happy to know Evelyn will be gracing the beaches of Washington in it."

I laughed loudly as I heard her make puking noises and curse on the other end.

"See you in a few."

****

Sunscreen? _Check._ Flip-Flops? _Check._ Towel? _Check._

I made a personal inventory before I hopped out of my truck at First Beach. I had purposely forgotten to wear my bathing suit as there was no way I was getting into the frigid water. It was bad enough I was a klutz on land; I surely couldn't swim in those choppy waves.

Jessica nearly tackled me in excitement and I saw Angela come trotting up behind her. Both of them had on shorts and long sleeve shirts on with bikinis underneath. Looks like I was the odd one out. I grabbed my beach bag and we were off towards the sitting area. I could see that all of the rest of the crew was here along with some of the guys from the reservation. I looked around for Jacob but he was nowhere to be found.

It was an easy day at the beach hanging out with friends. Thankfully no one pestered me about not bringing a bathing suit as they all took off for the water an hour later. I figured now was as good as time as any to tackle the demon that was sure to come up later.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed my mom's number. I counted the seconds it took for the phone to ring and pause then ring again. Finally she picked up in what sounded like a fit of giggles.

"Hello, "she managed to get out before another giggle. I heard some rustling on the other end.

"Hey Mom, its Bella."

I heard a sound of a hand smacking flesh, then she attempted to cover the phone to tell someone 'Stop' but failed miserably at the coverage.

"Hey Bella. Sorry about that, Phil is feeling frisky this afternoon."

I tried not to gag. Not the image I needed in my head.

"Did you hear anything back from those colleges? I'm really excited to tour the campuses with you!"

"Not yet. I'm still waiting." I sighed; she was going to dance around the real issue. "Mom I need to talk to you about your email."

"Oh. I'm so sorry about that honey," more hand slapping, "I promise I'll make it up to you okay? Send me lots of pictures."

It was obvious to me at this point that she was too distracted to be persuaded out of going with Phil so I decided to give up, as usual.

"Okay mom, will do. I'll talk to you this weekend okay?"

"Okay! Call me when you hear something about UCLA and I'll be up there in a flash!"

I pushed the End button and let her get back to her 'fun' as I sat on the beach alone in my thoughts.

****

The next week was a piece of cake and just as I had planned, I was more than prepared for the finals I had left. Monday morning I had an envelope lying on the table next to a bowl of cereal. I noted the address and the return address. UCLA Admissions and it had been opened. I eyeballed Charlie, who was standing at the kitchen sink drinking a cup of coffee and grinning like a cat that'd eaten the canary.

"When did this come for me?" I questioned.

"Saturday morning while you were shopping. I got curious and took a peek."

"A peek?! Today is Monday Dad, you could have told me sooner!"

"I wanted to be here when you read it. Go ahead, open it up," he grinned widely.

I opened the thick envelope, noticing that in his peeking, Charlie had put all the papers back in the envelope in the wrong order. I was greeted with financial aid paperwork first. I held up the array of papers to him with a humored face and watched him shrug in nonchalance. Once I finally found the acceptance letter, I read it to myself and smiled. I was accepted, pending my final grades and able to start this coming fall.

My lack of reaction didn't go unnoticed.

"I thought you'd be more excited than that…" Charlie said as he sat down his mug and left for work.

In truth I was excited about getting my first of ten acceptance letters that week, but as each envelope was brought in and opened, none of them had the college name I wanted on them. None of them said NYU Admissions.

Wednesday and Thursday I helped Jessica plan for a huge graduation party at her house Friday night. She was converting her basement bedroom into the party area and adding some outside décor so I was spending the majority of the day moving her furniture into a spare room upstairs. Angela came to help out on Friday with decorations and we all decided to get ready together for the graduation ceremony. I needed someone other than Evelyn to do my hair. I had picked out a simple Gap A-line pin tuck dress, Angela was wearing a Lucy Love dress that fit loose on her thin frame and Jessica was wearing a low cut Billabong ruffled dress to show off her cleavage. The school had mandated all the girls had to wear white dresses under our hideous yellow gowns. Our conversation turned to acceptance letters.

"So Ang is going to UNC, Bella's going to UCLA and I'm going to U of W. I swear I'll never get out of this state," Jessica pouted.

"Hold up," as Angela pulled the curling iron out of my hair, "How did you know I got accepted to UCLA?" I asked.

"Umm Evelyn was telling everyone at the diner Monday night, then word spread from there," Angela piped in as she curled another chunk of hair.

Great, this was going to be a lot bigger of a mess than I had originally intended.

"Ladies, I've been with holding information, but you have to swear on everything you hold dear you will not tell a soul what I'm about to tell you." I eyed them both as they were looking at each other in confusion.

"Sure Bella, shoot." Jessica replied.

"I mean it Jess."

"Scout's honor," she smiled sweetly.

"I'm not going to UCLA. I'm going to NYU and my parents don't know about it, yet," and I confessed to them about my acceptance letter I received this morning.

"Oh boy," they both sighed in unison. Apparently they realized the scale of the mess I was in as well.

We continued getting ready and talking about what we were planning to major in. Soon it was time to go, and I still needed to head home so I could ride with my dad and step mom to the ceremony.

****

I managed to make it across the stage and receive my diploma without making a complete embarrassment of myself. I blushed when I heard my little crowd of friends and family cheer as my name was called. Charlie had Jacob take tons of pictures for him and my mom's benefit. After dinner at the diner and a quick stop by the pharmacy for the pictures we were heading back to the house. Jacob and Billy Black headed back to the reservation so Jacob could get ready for Jessica's party.

As I opened the door to my bedroom, there were 3 boxes on my bed, two of which were wrapped in really expensive paper. The other was a UPS shipping box from Arizona.

I grabbed the smallest of the three boxes and dug my nail under the paper to tear it away. After some serious finagling, I opened the box to find another small box and a card.

'Congratulations! Best Wishes, The Black Family'

I opened the small box to find a small strand of black fresh water pearls. I touched them in awe, as they were my favorite colored pearl. I heard someone knock on my door.

"Come in," I called.

Charlie and Evelyn came in and took a seat in my computer chair and on the edge of my bed. Both of them glowed with excitement. I showed them both the necklace Jacob's family had bought me.

"Wow, that must have cost a lot," I heard Charlie mutter.

I grabbed the second wrapped box, which was larger than the first and started to rip at the paper. Evelyn had to help pop the tape on the box with her fake nails, but eventually it opened to a massive poof of tissue paper. I fished through the layers and found a box with the label 'iPhone 3GS' on the side and a card stuck to the top.

'Congrats Grad! Now you can keep in touch. Love You, Charlie & Evelyn'

I looked up in my excitement to see my dad wiggling a new phone in his hand with a grin peeking under his moustache.

"Thanks Dad, Mom," I hugged them respectively. In my excitement I called Evelyn 'mom' which made her glow.

"Not a problem kiddo. I already had them switch the information over so you're old phone is no good," Charlie added in.

As if on cue, my new iPhone began to ring. I popped open the box so I could answer it. It was Jessica as usual, telling me to hurry up and come over. Charlie and Evelyn both began to leave my room, apparently whatever my mom had sent wasn't of interest. I shut the bedroom door and started sifting through my closet for party attire. Jessica suggested some skinny jeans with a thin flannel shirt over a white camisole with ballet flats in my ear. I laid it all out and decided it would do. After hanging up the phone I yanked all the pins out of my hair and let it fall down my back as I got dressed. Thank God my makeup had held out all day.

****

I was jamming to Vampire Weekend's Walcott and talking to Angela and Ben when Jacob came up behind me and scared me out of my skin. My drink sloshed over the edge of the cup and onto the carpet. Jess was going to kill me.

"Jacob!" I hissed.

"Oops," he smiled an innocent smile.

"Don't worry about it Bella," Angela sighed and pointed to a couple making out and spilling drinks in the corner.

I smiled sweetly at her.

"Want to go outside?" Jacob asked in my ear as the song got louder.

"Sure," I mouthed.

Two walls of Jessica's bedroom were sliding glass windows that led to the back yard. The Japanese lanterns and tiki torches were still aglow. Thankfully the rain had held off all day and into the night.

Jacob took the last gulp of whatever he was drinking and tossed both of our cups in the trash before we slid out the door.

"Thanks for the necklace Jacob," I wanted to get the thank you's out of the way before I forgot.

"Oh it's no problem. That was mostly my dad's idea, even though I picked out the color," he grinned with pride.

"They are my favorite," I blushed and began walking with him.

"So can I visit you at UCLA or do they have rules against that?" he fielded the question.

I bit my lip in nervousness. How was I going to break it him that I wasn't going to UCLA? I could play that conversation in my head.

'_Umm sorry Jacob, I'll be 2,491 miles on the opposite side of the country.'_

_Cue his total freak out._

I'm sure I probably could polish off the conversation with something like, _'Hope you can get a cheap flight.'_

I winced inwardly as I was running through how to tell him in my head. He stopped in the farthest part of the yard, away from the lit part of the backyard and in the edge of the shadows where the forest started. I looked up from the ground and turned towards him with a look of confused amusement. His face was all serious business, which was rather unlike him when we were just hanging out talking. I was used to his bright, sunny smile.

Something in the air changed. I'm sure he noticed it, mainly because I shivered and he took a step closer to me.

He wrapped his massive hands around my face and pulled me close to his. There was a brief hesitation, no doubt to gauge the utter shock crossing my face, and then he gently pulled his lips to mine. My eyes were held open in distress, but eased closed as I gave into the warmth of Jacob. His lips were like smooth, wet leather backed by the taste of the Mountain Dew he'd been drinking. His hands were like anchors, holding me steady so I didn't melt into a puddle. I could feel the muscles in his arms as they wound around me like steel cables crushing me to his chest threatening to never let go.

He opened his mouth and slid his tongue across my lips, nudging them open slowly. I was pliant and ready for him as I glided my tongue out to meet his. My arms locked around his neck and I tilted my head to gain better access. This also caused me to push against him harder which only made the flames grow hotter. I briefly thought about taking off my flannel shirt. I was melting in the heat of his kiss, letting it burn me to a pile of ashes right there on the lawn.

This kiss wasn't like all the other kisses I'd had in my lifetime. Granted I had only seriously made out with one boy ever and I started to doubt that a 7 minutes in heaven kiss even counted. Those kisses were delicate and shy since being stuck in a closet with a boy is usually an awkward situation. This was different. Jacob was a hundred percent sure this is what he wanted and wasn't scared to go for it.

I should have been grossed out, he was my best friend for heaven's sake, but his warm lips caressing mine were just too good to let go of.

I heard a gasp of surprise and a rush of air coming towards my back. There was only one person that could ruin a moment like this without a qualm.

_Mike Newton_ I growled inside my head.

Jacob pushed me roughly to the side and grabbed Mike by the shirt as I tumbled to the grass. Damn near slamming him to the ground, I could hear both boys growling in frustration as Jacob hovered over Mike's squirming body. Jacob looked like a wolf about to devour its prey his was so furious. I spotted the crowd smooshing their bodies to the sliding glass doors of the house trying to get a better look. No one was brave enough to come outside.

My eyes flickered back to Jacob as he pulled his massive fist back to punch Mike in the face.

"No! Jacob, No!" I attempted feebly to get up to stop him but my legs didn't want to function properly.

Jacob turned to look at me, the raw fury still burning in his eyes. I watched it fade slowly and glaze over into a look of shame and sadness. His other fist slowly let go of Mike's now crumpled shirt and he straightened in a mechanic way. Mike scrambled into a standing position and dusted the grass and dirt off of his jeans and shirt. He gave me the most poisonous look I've ever seen from him. I guessed I somewhat deserved it. I had constantly turned him down and gave him every signal that I was not interested in a relationship. Yet here I was, in Jessica Stanley's backyard making out with Jacob Black of all people.

I didn't have time to yell or warn Jacob before Mike punched him in the face. As any smart man would, he took off running for the house afterwards.

My gaze drew back to the glass doors and I watched most of the crowd dissipate as the show was clearly over. Angela and Jessica stood and watched for the longest, but even they turned away with a few shakes of their heads in pity.

Jacob moved then and fell to the ground Indian style to place his head in his hands in defeat. At least that's what I thought it was. My legs decided to work at that moment and I crawled on my knees over to him and sat back on my feet.

"Are you okay Jacob?" I tried to pull his huge hands away from his face.

"Yes, I'm fine. Physically anyway," he answered as he looked up with huge puppy dog eyes.

There wasn't even a scratch on him. Had I been punched like that I would have been black eyed and bloody nosed for a week.

I took his hand in mine as we sat there in silence. I wasn't going to push him into telling me what was wrong; it was easy enough between us that he would just let it out eventually. I ran my other hand through my hair to let out some of the nerves that had settled in after what had just happened. It was starting to set in that I had just made out, hell, shared a kiss of epic proportions, with my best friend. How was this going to change things?

Jacob was eyeing my inner struggle when he broke the silence.

"This doesn't change anything Bella. Not one damn thing."

My mind started to withdraw then as I sat in the dark with him. Of course it changed things. It changes everything. I couldn't look at him as a friend anymore could I? Without knowing if there **was** something there, that we had shared a spark, no, a flame in Jessica's backyard. It wasn't like this with Mike, even after our cumbersome dates we were still normal and easy to be around each other. But dates with Mike ended with a hug, not an all consuming kiss that was sure to burn in my memory for a good long while.

"Bella," Jacob's hand was on my shoulder, shaking me out of my thoughts again.

I looked up to his face with a mixture of pain and panic adorning mine. He pulled me into his lap and hugged me tightly as I let the tears slide silently down my cheeks. 'This is going to hurt', I told myself, 'letting him go now is going to hurt bad.' I let the emotions roll through me as he rocked back and forth with me cradled in his lap. I could have fallen asleep there in his arms, but I thought better of it. Charlie expected me home, even if it was a graduation party.

I wiped the tears away as Jacob hesitantly unfolded his arms and helped me to my feet. My right side was covered in grass stains, nothing out of the ordinary for someone like me. Jacob stood and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, trying to be as friend-like as possible to comfort me. We walked to the house together, but instead of going inside and making a big scene we walked around the side of the house to the driveway where my truck was parked. I spotted it near the end of the driveway, thanking my lucky stars I could get out easily.

"Want me to drive you home?" I asked him as we reached the driver's side door.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he smiled his famous toothy grin. I was going to miss that.

"No I'll be okay. I feel bad about not saying goodbye to anyone."

"Trust me, after all of that I'm sure they'll let you get away with it."

"You didn't answer my question," my eyebrow raised in playfulness.

"You didn't answer mine either," his grin got wider.

"You didn't ask …"

"Not that question Bella," he rolled his eyes, "Before Mike…"

"Oh." That's all I could muster out. My eyes feel to look at the ground. For a brief moment I thought he was going to forget about that and fall back into our friendship.

"So? Can I?" he pushed.

"I have to confess," I started. Did I really want to give up my secret? "I honestly… don't think I'll be going to UCLA in the fall." There I got part of it out…

I watched his face fall from his glorious grin back to the puppy dog eyes from the backyard again.

"So where will you be going?" his tone was almost lifeless now.

Oh boy.

"I received my acceptance letter to NYU this morning. I still haven't told my family, but that's where I plan on going."

"But Charlie said you got accepted into UCLA. He showed my dad the letter you got in the mail last Saturday. Don't you want to be near your family? Your _friends_?"

He was trying, trying to sort out whatever excuse or guilt button pushing he could muster to get me to stay close to home. Little did he know that was the last place I wanted to be.

"Jacob, of course I want to be close, but what I want and what I need are two different things." I opened the door to my truck. I think my answer was vague enough that he would have to ponder it later.

Wrong… Jacob pushed my back against the side of the seat as he closed in on me. I could feel the air in the cab getting warmer behind me and I wasn't even in the truck yet. He pressed his colossal body into my small frame as he lowered his face to mine again. I couldn't breathe or think straight…

"What you need… is me," he pressed his lips to mine after the final word and the melting started all over again.

* * *

**A/N: Okay okay okay! Don't shoot me, stake me or cut me into a million pieces! **

**Yes, I am 100% fully aware that this is an E & B fan fic even though Edward hasn't made his appearance yet. Trust me when I say its worth all the waiting.**

**Jacob has had serious feelings for Bella for the past year, but now that he knows she's leaving for college far away, this is the only way he knows how to let her know. By being completely reckless.**

**I hope that makes sense, and I hope you'll bear with me. The glorious one will turn up sooner than later. :)**


	4. Chapter 4: It's A Bird, It's A Plane!

**A/N: A big lovely thank you to all of you that continue to read my story. I ** ** heart you all.**

**Two big huge hugs and thanks to isnoggedmalfoy and druscilla831 for giving this a careful look over.**

**Make sure you check out my profile! I've made some yummy wallpapers and a banner for this story.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters or the companies I mention in this story. I'm sure if I did, I'd be out spending all that money! :)**

* * *

I couldn't sleep. When I could catch a few fleeting moments of rest, my head was filled with images of skin and lips caressing each other slowly. Right before I could get a clear image I'd wake up with a sweat on my brow. I didn't need to see the face in my dreams to know who I was kissing, I was positive it was Jacob, burning me now even in my dreams.

I watched the sky growing lighter out of my bedroom window and put my head in my hands in frustration. I had been beating myself up all night saying to myself that I should have pushed him away, not given him any encouragement. Now he was under the impression that I 'needed' him, like I was a hobbling girl in need of a crutch. No, what I needed was to get out of this town and clear my head. I'd have to rely on either the Europe trip or college to do it.

I was tossing around the idea of telling my family about NYU before I left for Europe, but decided against it for fear that they may not let me go on the trip so I could stay home and 'discuss this.' I kept telling myself it could wait; I would have almost two weeks away from home to come up with a good debate. The thought turned my stomach in knots. What if they didn't want to understand?

Trying to get my stomach to settle, I scanned my room to make a mental check list of what I needed to do before my trip. Charlie and Evelyn had taken off work this weekend to help me pack and take me to the airport. I threw the covers back and started to clean up what little mess that was in my room. It was too early for me to make breakfast for everyone yet so I had to kill time.

I was working at a pretty good clip when I spotted the UPS box from my mom in the corner. Snatching it up, I sat down on my bed and pulled and pried on the shipping tape until finally it snapped. Peanuts flew all over my bed as the box tilted on its side, but I managed to fish the card out of the sea of them still left in the box.

'I told you I'd make it up to you. 3 Mom & Phil'

I smiled as I spotted the black handle peeking out of the box. There was no stopping the flood of packing material that hit the bed and bounced to the floor as I pulled the object out. I nearly squealed in delight as I realized what she'd given me. It was a camera bag and it had weight to it. In a rush I flipped back the top of the bag to reveal a brand new Nikon D40. My jaw went slack and fell open just as I read the second note inside the bag.

'Take lots of pictures. Wish I could be there.'

****

My bags were packed and I was sitting on the back porch listening to the thunder in the distance. The rain had started up again an hour ago, keeping me locked inside and unable to play with my camera. So I opted to read the manual to get more familiar with it. I smiled to myself remembering how many times I'd thanked my mom and seeing the look on my dad's face. It was pretty obvious that mom had out done him again and he was bitter about it. Not that it mattered to me, I loved both gifts equally and felt they were both more than I deserved.

I heard footsteps coming through the house towards the backdoor and looked up to see Jacob smile in a greeting. He dropped his heavy body in the rocking chair across from me with a deep sigh. He must have run here; his hair was damp with rain, he gleaned with a thin layer of sweat and his breathing was deeper than normal.

"Out for a run?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just running off the nerves," he laughed and looked to the floor.

My memory threatened to rekindle itself to last night's events as I stared at his hair dripping onto his shirt. I stood and began to head to the backdoor when he looked at me in confusion.

"I'm going to get you some water," I lied. What I really needed was a distraction.

I returned a few moments later to find him more relaxed and peeking into my chair to see what I was reading. I grabbed the manual and marked my spot as I handed him the tall glass of ice water. He drank it so fast it was like there wasn't water there to begin with.

"Want to try and drink an ocean next?" I laughed, making the mood lighter.

"I probably could do it if it wasn't so salty," he retorted, making a disgusted face.

We laughed again and the nerves ebbed away from the both of us. It was almost back to being 'just friends' when he started to pull something out of the pocket in his shorts. I watched him curiously as a piece of tanned leather wrapped in cord appeared in his hands.

"Listen, I was going to give you this Friday night but it still needed to be finished," he passed me the little package, "Happy belated graduation."

"Thanks," I said, my skin turning a dusky pink.

I pulled at the cords as I held the leather case in my other hand. I noticed Jacob watching me very intently, and I grew worried that whatever was in this package was fragile. I took extra care to pull the cords slower, but he sighed in impatience.

"Want me to open it Bella?"

"No! It's my present. I don't want to break it!"

He laughed at my worry. After I pulled the last of the cord away, I unfolded the hide to reveal a thick wooden circle with a hole in the center large enough for a wrist. I held it up so I could examine the sides and discovered that there was a pattern etched into the wood across the entire surface.

"Wolves?" I questioned, arching my eyebrow at him again.

"My tribe's ancestors," he grinned.

I traced my finger across the patterns, noting the roughness of the carving and the amount of detail that went into the scene. The pattern was three wolves chasing each other around the pattern, but met at a detailed carving of a wolf's head.

"It's beautiful Jacob," I smiled, "How long did it take you?" I had to assume he had made it himself; the pride was coming off of him in waves.

"A month or so off and on. I had to stain it this week but it should be fine to wear now."

I slipped my fingers through the opening and pushed the bangle over my hand and onto my wrist. It was thick and looked heavy but was surprisingly light. I twirled it with my fingers to look at the pattern over and over, it really was magnificent.

"Bella," he said snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to his face, and all of the smiling was gone, his face showing a serious look. I questioned the change in his mood with my eyes as he stood and knelt in front of my rocking chair. His eyes took on the same look as they had at Jessica's party.

"Jacob, I can't do this," I sighed. I gave him the best 'serious business' look I could muster. I didn't want to argue. I just wanted to be friends. His eyes fell to the floor in defeat, but I lifted his chin so he could look at my face.

"I like you as my friend Jacob, my _best friend_," I put emphasis on the words, "I don't want to see either of us be hurt by a relationship that just can't work."

"But it can work Bella we just…"

I held my finger to my lips to shush him.

"Jacob, I'm going to be on the other side of the country as of August, you can't leave your dad OR the reservation until you graduate. It's just not feasible."

"You could go to UCLA."

"But I'm not."

He rocked back off of his knee to sit Indian style on the porch floor. I watched the emotions cross his face until he came to what looked like a state of acceptance. If he was about to pout, he wasn't showing it.

"So what do you want from me Bella?"

"A friend Jacob, just a friend."

****

The scene at the airport was total chaos. There were families hugging and wishing their children a safe trip and begging for phone calls when they landed. The principal and other trip chaperones were trying to corral all of the students into a group to get their bags checked and head to the gate were our flight awaited us. Thankfully Charlie and Evelyn said their goodbyes quickly and were on their way, no tears or excess worries. They knew I'd call when I could and take care of myself just fine.

I checked my one bag of luggage and slung my camera bag over my shoulder as I walked towards the security check. I had packed light, despite all of the clothes Jessica and Angela insisted I bring in our phone conversation the previous night. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of room for anything that I might buy and need to bring back.

I finally reached the waiting area and took a seat with all of my friends. I double checked to make sure I had my passport, ID and tickets. Heaven forbid that I land in Chicago and can't fly to England, I'd be devastated. I spotted Angela ogling my camera bag from the seat next to me and Jessica was staring at the bangle on my wrist. I had decided after talking with Jacob that I'd wear it all of the time. It was gorgeous and I wanted to show off his incredible craftsmanship. I didn't really have to stress to him that it wasn't anything more than a friendly gesture; I think he got the hint the first couple times I insisted we only be friends. As far as I knew, we were in complete agreement when he left Saturday evening.

The flight attendant took her place at the stand outside of the gate's doorway and announced that it was time for us to board. The flight itinerary was a long one; we would stop in Chicago and then fly on to London with a long layover in between. According to the papers we'd received in our trip packet, we wouldn't get to England until about 4 AM Grand Meridian Time. I groaned inwardly about sitting still on a plane for that long. I was glad to get a window seat and be able to sit near Angela and Jessica was on the other side of her. It wasn't long before we were told to fasten our seatbelts and prepare for take off.

I looked out my window as we rose above the low hanging clouds and the sun cast its full glory in my window.

"Let the journey begin," I whispered softly.

****

The plane touched down and jolted me out of my sleep. I looked at the tiny watch on Angela's arm to see that it was 9:15 pm. She probably hadn't set her watch for the time here in London. I opened the shade on the window and looked out onto the runway. It certainly looked like it could be that late.

The plane came to a stop and everyone began to rise and grab their carry-on luggage out of the overhead compartments. Angela handed me my camera bag, grabbed her purse and handed Jessica hers. We filed in line and dragged ourselves off of the plane, looking like a horde of zombies looking for their next target.

I was still trying to wipe the sleep out of my eyes when Angela wheeled her bag and mine over to where I was standing.

"Ang, you're a life saver," I managed slur out.

"Not a problem," she smiled. She had to be an early riser.

I rolled my luggage along behind me as we headed towards where the rest of the group was assembling. In Chicago, we had joined up with a second school that had booked under the same student travel package as us, so the coordinator was waiting for both groups to come to the area before we proceeded. Her platinum blonde hair and perky smile made me slightly nauseous at this hour. How could anyone be so alert and happy this early?

"Can I have your attention please?" she yelled to the group. Everyone snapped alert except for me, I had seen it coming.

"I'll be directing you to your buses shortly. Please make sure that you have all of your belongings before we leave the airport. We will be heading to the hotel so you all can rest up for the tour this afternoon!"

Luggage, _check. _Camera bag, _check._ I was good. Packing light had more benefits than I thought.

After the last of the students grabbed their luggage, we made our way to the exit and onto the awaiting double decker buses awaiting us. All of the Chicago students on the bus I entered took the seats on the top deck which left only seats in the bottom for me and the rest of my friends. Jessica had woken up fully and was chattering to my left with Mike and Tyler. Angela rode in silence, patting my arm when I fell asleep just before we stopped at the hotel.

I didn't get a chance to see the room before I passed out. I knew I got on the elevator and I got into the room with Angela somehow, but I was so exhausted from such a terrible time of trying to sleep on the plane that I had no desire to look now. I was fully clothed and spread across my bed with my feet and hands hanging off the edges when I finally found sleep. And how peaceful it was.

****

I heard an alarm clock go off and I groaned loudly, swatting at the table beside me to make the noise go away. My tries were fruitless; someone had moved the clock to the other side of the room. I heard snickering from the other side of my head and I flopped around to see Jessica and Angela sitting on the bed next to mine, giggling and snorting at my grouchiness. I stuck my tongue out at them; it was not nice to make fun of the morning impaired.

"You sleep like a rock Bella," Jessica giggled, "I think a bomb could have gone off and you would never know the difference."

"Apparently I can't," I sneered as I got up and headed to the bathroom, "I couldn't sleep at all on the first plane ride because you couldn't shut up!"

I slammed the door of the bathroom for dramatic effect, but it only conjured more laughter from the other side.

I looked down to realize that I was still in my clothes from the day before. I felt like I had been balled up and thrown in a trash can, then removed and unwrinkled.

'Disgusting,' I thought to myself and stripped down for a shower.

****

I walked out of the bathroom in a robe feeling much better about myself. Angela had knocked on the door to tell me that we had to meet everyone for the tour at 3 pm and that it was 1:30. Jessica was putting on her makeup in the vanity mirror and Angela started flipping through stations on the TV.

"Where did you sleep last night Jess?" I asked. There were only two beds in this room that I could see.

"One of the coordinators stuck me in a room with Lauren," I saw her shudder, "But Angela said I'm more than welcome to share a bed with her to get away from the Queen Bitch."

"Yikes," I hissed through my teeth.

I found my bag next to my night stand and heaved it up onto the bed.

"Good God this thing weights a ton!" I whined.

"That's what happens when you pack your entire closet Bella," Jessica giggled from the vanity.

"I didn't pack my whole closet Jessica! I barely packed anything!"

Angela turned to me with worry on her brow.

"Are you sure you didn't pick up Jessica's bag?" she asked.

"I know she didn't," Jessica piped up, "Mine is under my feet." She bounced her feet on the bag to make her point.

I looked at the bag and I looked to the girls.

"Maybe it just felt lighter because it was on wheels Bella," Angela tried to comfort me.

"Maybe," I replied.

I found the zipper on the bag that looked exactly like mine and gave it a generous tug around the outer edge. I peeled back the lid and the inner protective cover, revealing what looked like an entire super model's closet. I felt my face forming some resemblance of shock and awe as I looked at the clothes before me; this was definitely not my bag. The clothes where too neatly folded and pressed, and clearly not my style. I spotted a bathing suit and reached out to hold it up. It was chocolate brown in color and had an ultra deep neckline with cut out sides.

Jessica's mouth fell open in the mirror she looked into.

"Damn Bella," she all but squealed, "Are you _trying _to get laid on this trip or what?!"

My teeth mashed together.

"It's not my bag," I hissed.

Angela's face was a look of distress.

"I swear I thought I grabbed the right one."

I put the bathing suit back in the bag and started searching for an ID tag. Something with a name and a number that I could return this person's luggage to them. There were no tags on the outside of the bag, and I began to panic. I started searching through an inner pocket and found it, but noticed that it looked like someone had torn it off and thrown it in the pocket. Thankfully the person's name, address and number were listed. I grabbed my iPhone from a side pocket in my camera bag and dialed the number.

'We are sorry; you must first contact AT&T to activate international service before making this call.'

"Shit!" I cursed out loud and threw the phone on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Angela and Jessica asked in unison, they had been silent until now.

"I can't use my phone here. How am I going to find this girl?!" I was panicking.

I noticed some papers sticking out of the pocket where the tag had been hiding that donned the same logo as the student travel company we were with. The girl's luggage was addressed from Chicago.

"The school we met up with in Chicago is staying in this same hotel right?" I asked.

The girls looked at each other. "Yeah," Angela answered.

"Fabulous," I said and grabbed the phone on the night stand.

I dialed down to the front desk and explained my problem to the person that answered. They asked me for the person's name so they could look her up in the system.

"Alice Cullen," I replied and listened to the typing on the other end.

"Ah yes, she's in room 664 on the 6th floor."

"Thank you," I said and hung up the phone.

"What's our room number Ang?"

"601."

I said a silent thank you in my head that I wouldn't have to change floors. I placed the tag back into the bag and zipped it back up. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and wrapped the robe tightly around my frame and tied the sash so it wouldn't fly open with a strange hallway breeze. There was no way in hell I was putting my clothes from the airplane back on. I heaved the luggage off the bed and onto its wheels, rolling it to the door before Jessica piped up.

"Aren't you going to put something on?"

I peered out the door and the hallway was completely empty.

"No one is out here Jess. Not to mention it's only a girl, live a little," I winked at her and closed the door behind me.

I stopped at the map on the wall near the elevator and continued around the corner until I spotted the door numbered 664. I could only hope that she had made the same mistake and grabbed my bag as well, seeing as how without it, I would have to spend all of my souvenir money on clothes. My bare feet padded down the hall on the bristly carpet towards my destination. I looked over my shoulder before knocking on the door softly.

I could hear music on the other side of the door, but I couldn't make out what kind it was. It was faint so it couldn't be so loud that it had drowned out my knocking. Maybe she was in the shower? That's what most normal girls did before going out in public. I knocked again with a little more force this time and continuing to look over my shoulder for anyone who might catch me out here in my robe. The music behind the door still played and I couldn't hear footsteps.

I was starting to get angry as I banged on the door for a third time. I knew someone was in there, maybe my banging would make them hurry up. I had to be ready for this tour too, and without knowing if my clothes were in there I may not be able to go. I pressed my ear to the door to see if I could hear anything other than music. Someone moving perhaps? I heard what sounded like a shower running and the music was louder with my ear on the cool metal. Great, just what I needed; a princess pampering herself and not even concerned about her missing clothes.

I raised my hand and pulled it back to strike at the door one final time before I was going to give up when suddenly the door swung open. I felt my jaw go slack and my skin flush in pure embarrassment. Standing on the other side of the door was what I could only describe as a marble god, with his hair in wet disarray and a towel wrapped around his waist.

* * *

**A/N: Marble Gods wrapped in towels make my girl parts happy! **

**What would you do if you found out you had Alice's wardrobe in your hands? Discuss. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Live A Little

**A/N: Thank you to all of my new followers and reviewers. I love reading your comments so don't be afraid to post them!**

**Sending my love-mobile over to isnoggedmalfoy and druscilla831's houses. They look over my work :)**

**If I found Alice's luggage I'd probably give it back, she's way smaller than I am so I wouldn't fit.**

**DISCLAIMER: My claim to fame (or lack there of) is not Twilight or its characters, SM is greater than me.**

**Please be aware that this chapter has some use of alcohol. If you're not comfortable with this, turn back now. :P**

* * *

_I raised my hand and pulled it back to strike at the door one final time before I was going to give up when suddenly the door swung open. I felt my jaw go slack and my skin flush in pure embarrassment. Standing on the other side of the door was what I could only describe as a marble god, with his hair in wet disarray and a towel wrapped around his waist._

"Can I help you?" the chiseled perfection asked.

The words didn't even register in my brain as he said them. His voice was like silky liquid sliding over ice cubes in a glass, waiting to be savored and enjoyed to the very last drop. His hair looked freshly toweled, but began to drip onto his neck and shoulders and gradually slid down his lean, muscular frame until they vanished into the towel that slung low on his hips beneath his protruding hipbones. His muscular legs peeked out from the oversized towel and were accompanied by his feet, holding him in a stance of alarm. My eyes shot back up to his face, which was like a cherry on top of the most decedent dessert imaginable. His jaw line was clearly visible and freshly shaved. His lips were dark in color, probably from the heat of the shower. His nose and cheekbones were flawless, setting off his emerald eyes in such a way that you could see every emotion within them.

That was when I realized he was waiting for a response to whatever question he had asked.

I rolled the bag out from behind me and realization dawned on his face. I still couldn't form words, but I had fallen from my cloud nine and plunged into deep embarrassment. I was sure my face would be a permanent shade of deep red after this ordeal. I heard him chuckle as I looked to the floor. I had to get away from this boy, no… man. His penetrating gaze and god like perfection were doing weird things to my brain and body.

"One second," he chuckled as he closed the door lightly.

I continued to stare at the floor, attempting to will away the color in my face. I looked up in surprise again when the door swung open, but instead of the boy there was a small girl in his place, wrapped up in a thick terry robe that could have doubled as a fur coat on her small frame. Her dark hair was spiky all over and coupled with her height and angelic face made her look like something out of an enchanted forest.

"You must be Isabella," she smiled.

The fact that she knew my name shook me out of my stupor.

"Bella," I corrected reflexively.

"Well do come in Bella. I believe I have something of yours," she ushered me in and closed the door behind us.

The room was twice the size of mine, Angela, and Jessica's and had to be some sort of suite. There were two queen sized beds with fluffy down duvets and pillows, a sitting area with a huge sliding glass door that lead out to the balcony that overlooked the street. The sheer curtains were pulled back to maximize the lighting in the room. There was a door on the right that I could only imagine was a large bathroom. The door was closed, and as I didn't see anyone else in the room, the man must have gone in there for privacy.

The pixie girl motioned for me to sit down on the bed across from her and I could feel myself sink into the duvet and the mattress. I wondered to myself if this was the bed that the man had slept in. I could smell his aftershave through out the room but I couldn't pin point where it was coming from.

"I see you've met Edward," the girl giggled.

My face began to turn pink again. Here I was, just trying to return this girl's bag and I couldn't stop fantasizing about what her boyfriend was doing on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, "We didn't expect visitors this morning. I promise it won't happen again."

Well that was a damn shame. Ugh. Come on Bella, pull it together.

"I'm Bella," I extended a hand in greeting.

"I know," she smiled again. I'd forgotten we'd established this at the door, "I'm Alice."

I shook her hand gently as the small size made it seem so fragile.

I grabbed the bag and rolled it to her tiny feet.

"This must belong to you then."

She reached between her legs and under the bed skirts to pull my bag out from underneath. I felt the wave of relief wash over me as I saw the torn tag with my name on it tucked into an outside pocket.

"You could imagine my surprise when I lifted this bag onto the bus and it was so light. I thought someone had stolen half of my clothes until I got here to open it up and realized it wasn't mine," she giggled again. Was I imagining the tinkling in her voice?

"My friend had grabbed your bag on accident, assuming that I had packed all of the clothes from a shopping trip before graduation," I smiled.

"Ooo. A shopping trip!" her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

My eyes happened to wander long enough to realize that the time was coming up on 2:30. Had it really been almost an hour since I got out of the shower? I started to panic, and groaned at my lack of awareness.

"What's wrong?" Alice questioned, perplexed by my groaning noise.

"It's almost 2:30 and I have to be ready for the tour by 3. I'm sure I look like a mess."

I saw her eyes light up with the thought of a challenge. She stood and threw my bag up onto the bed like it was a paper weight and began to pick through my clothes until she found an outfit she liked and laid it out on the bed. She bounced back to her bag on the opposite bed and dug out her makeup bag and hot curlers. After plugging the curlers in to heat up, she almost skipped to the closed door and rapped her fingernails on the metal door.

"Edward dear, if you could give us a moment, we'll be getting dressed," she called to him through the barrier.

I heard a muffled reply from the other side and watched as she danced back over to the curlers.

"Don't worry Bella, I've got you taken care of," she grinned a devilish grin.

I could tell this was her passion in life. She danced around the bed and hummed to herself as she rolled the hot curlers through my long hair and locked them into place. Her brushes and fingertips were so delicate on my face they felt like feathers. Her eyes were intent on my face as she worked: a pale green with bright golden flecks throughout the irises. It wasn't long before she instructed me to put on the outfit she had chosen; a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with a white short puffy sleeved shirt and a small black vest to go over it. I grabbed a pair of panties and a bra out of my bag and managed to maneuver them on with the bathrobe still covering me. I watched the bathroom door intently as I did this, praying the robe would not betray me if he decided to come out anyway.

I managed to get the shirt and vest on when Alice turned me around to start removing the curlers. It seemed a little early to be taking them out since I had so much hair. Maybe she was going to blow dry the rest? I grabbed the jeans and bent over to slide my legs in as she worked. The curls that fell in front of my face were completely dry, which was a relief since I was sure we were running out of time. I grabbed the waistline of the jeans and pulled them up over my calves, past my knees and half way up my thighs. I heard a door click softly behind me and my face flushed with embarrassment as I yanked the pants over my butt and buttoned them close.

"Perfect!" Alice exclaimed, "That's just the right amount of color in your cheeks."

I smiled wearily as she put the last curler back into the holder. She pulled out a pair of black ballet flats out of my bag and grabbed my arm to drag me to the bathroom that was now unoccupied. She covered my eyes before I could look in the mirror, how she could reach them was beyond me.

"Ready?" she asked with pure undiluted excitement.

"Sure," I had to smile, she was so infectious.

The darkness faded and the light shined onto two girls in the mirror. The girl on the left was a small mystical creature, her black hair spiked and makeup accenting her pale eyes and skin. Her outfit was rather daring but still cute. A low cut black blouse with skin tight dark demin jeans and five inch black stiletto pumps that I was positive I would break my neck in. The other girl was what appeared to be a vixen. Her dark chestnut hair was loosely curled around her face and flowed freely around her shoulders like a lion's mane. The eye makeup was dark and accented all of the chocolate wonder in her eyes but gave off a mysterious edge. Her lips were pouty and stained a dark shade of pink with a high gloss that reflected in the bathroom light. I couldn't put the image in the mirror together with myself; there was no way that was me.

"Impressed?" Alice giggled.

'Wow' was all I managed to get out of my mouth, which clearly enough for her since her face was lit up even brighter. After a few more sprays of hair spray and pulling on my flats, she ushered me out the door and bid me a cheery farewell after inviting me back for another make over later.

The reaction when I made it back to my hotel room was much louder than I expected. After managing to pick their jaws back up off the floor and allow me and my rolling bag through the door, Angela and Jessica were squealing with so much excitement I'm sure the entire hotel heard it. They wanted ever detail of this mysterious Alice Cullen and how she did this make over. I didn't have much information to offer, I had been in somewhat of a daze at the time.

Angela's alarm went off after a few minutes, alerting us that the time was 2:55. I was instantly baffled that after all of the work Alice had put into me that I wasn't late. I guess miracles happened after all.

****

After arriving in the lobby and joining the rest of the group, we boarded the double decker buses that would take us through out London on our tour. I looked around the crowd to see if I could spot Edward and Alice to at least thank her again and introduce them to Angela and Jessica. Even with the outfit Alice was wearing, I still couldn't spot her or her gorgeous boyfriend. I boarded the bus and headed for the top deck since the day was nice and the view was better. I could hear the whistles and cat calls from some of the boys as I passed. Even Jessica chuckled out loud and called me a 'sexpot,' which made me blush wildly. I wasn't used to this kind of attention, and I loathed it when I had initially moved to Forks and started high school.

I slid into the plastic seat and caught Mike Newton eyeing me from a few rows in front of me. I stuck my tongue out in a mean gesture, to which he responded by licking his lips. Great, with this face on no one was going to take me seriously.

Angela and Jessica were chattering beside me and I decided to pull out my camera and take some shots. My mom wanted pictures and I didn't want to forget this. I snapped a quick photo of them smiling together at the camera then focused on the sights and sounds around me. City traffic, Big Ben chiming the hour in the background, the tour guide explaining the locations… The people on the street were fun to photograph as well as the architecture that towered over them like silent guardians. At one point Angela grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots of me making silly faces and smiling for the camera. She claimed that we had to document the way I looked today for proof that I did look great in makeup. I had to laugh; it seemed like only a complete stranger could see my full beauty potential.

****

The buses arrived back at the hotel around 5:45 that evening. I was sure that my hair was thoroughly wind blown and my smile was permanently plastered onto my face as Angela and I rode up the elevator.

"Can you believe Jessica?" she asked as we reached the 6th floor.

The tour guide announced that we had the rest of the night and some of the next morning to do with as we pleased. Our train for Paris would depart the next day at 10:30 am, so that left everyone plenty of time to pack up and get to the station. I was excited and feeling almost electric; I loved to explore, and this free time was a blessing. Angela and I had spotted a pub a few blocks down the road and both agreed to head there after we freshened up. Jessica however decided to make cozy with Mike Newton of all people, so she would be with him most of the night.

We were laughing as we made our way down the hall and to our door. I waited for Angela to unlock the door as the gnawing curiosity to look around the corner tugged on my brain. What did I think I would find there? Edward standing in the doorway, light shining from behind him making him look like an angel in a bath towel? Or would I find him and Alice, arms wrapped around each other, staring into each other's perfect faces about to share a kiss? My mind was subconsciously repulsed by the second idea. I had unknowingly started walking in that direction and was about to peer around the corner when a hand came down over my shoulder and yanked me back. A loud gasp escaped my lips and I stared into Angela's funky glasses.

"What the hell are you doing Bella?" she questioned.

"Nothing," I squeaked out.

"So going special ops to spy on room 664 is "nothing"," she held up her fingers to accent the word.

"How did you know…?"

"There's only one room down that hall that you know someone in and that's Alice," she said as she crossed her arms, "Unless you've been withholding information."

"Shhhh!" I hissed as I made my way into our room.

"So you HAVE been!" her voice took a new octave in her excitement.

"Yes," I began as the door closed completely, "But please do not tell Jessica or I'll never hear the end of it."

She drew her fingers across her lips in a zipper like motion, locked it and threw away the key. I gave her the full run down of this morning's events as we sat on my bed Indian style. Everything from Edward's perfectly sculpted abs to the golden flecks in his emerald eyes. She gasped a lot, probably as much as I had when I first saw the gorgeous boy, but the loudest one was where I explained that he was Alice's boyfriend.

"Well that sucks," she sympathized.

We both erupted in laughter when I explained how he probably saw my butt in its full glory as I was getting dressed.

"How embarrassing," she choked out in between laughs.

After a few minutes of catching our breath and Angela reapplying some of her make up, my stomach started to growl in hunger. I checked the mirror on the vanity and amazingly my hair and makeup was as flawless as it had been before the tour. I thought for sure it would be a disaster by now.

"Come on Bella! You look fine," she smiled from the doorway.

"Sure, sure," I said as I grabbed my purse and walked past her into the hallway.

"You sounded like Jacob just then," she retorted as we boarded the elevator. She waited until we were out on the street walking towards the pub to prod further. "So you never did explain what happened at Jessica's graduation party."

I groaned in protest as we continued towards the next block. I really didn't want to relive the moment, even with a friend. I was busy trying to forget about life back home and focus on having fun before I had to go back. Angela was good at reading people and kept mum, but eventually my guilt overrode my desire to not think about it. I had just started the story when we reached the entrance of the pub, which was loud and noisy from what I could only imagine was the happy hour patrons. The cigar and cigarette smoke was like a cloud hanging near ceiling. We managed to weave and squeeze our way to the bar where thankfully two seats were still open. A young man with a thin red beard sat to my right and eyed me up and down before taking a long swing of his frothy ale. I smiled and turned back to Angela who was waiting for the rest of my explanation.

"I'll have to tell you later," I tried to yell over the talking and music.

The bartender came by and we ordered the standard pub fare of fish and chips. We looked around the crowd and at the liquor bottles behind the bar as our food was being prepared. Suddenly the bartender reappeared in front of us with two shot glasses and a bottle of Patrón. I piped up once I realized he was pouring for us.

"Um we didn't order that."

"I know." he said and pointed to the guy next to me, "He did."

I looked over my shoulder and saw the red bearded man tip his hat to reveal a full head of curly read hair.

"You look like tequila girls," he smiled with an Irish accent, "Most Americans are."

I smiled back shyly and looked back to the shot that was in front of me. I had snuck into my mom's liquor cabinet when I still lived in Arizona and drank a tiny bit of whiskey. It burned so bad that I had to spit it out. I didn't want to drink it, but Angela had her shot poised for a toast and I didn't want to look like a chicken. I eyed the glass then looked to Angela. My advice to Jessica earlier today echoed through my mind.

_Live a little._

I wrapped my fingers around the glass and touched my rim to hers with a clinging noise.

"To Europe," Angela toasted.

"To living a little," I smiled.

"Here, here," the Irishman raised his glass behind me.

We all took a long swig, Ang and I with our shots and the Irishman with his ale. I looked to her face as I set the glass down and searched the counter for something to chase it with. The back of my throat was on fire. The bartender passed us both a slice of lime with some sea salt sprinkled on it and I shoved it in my mouth and began to suck the juice out. It relieved some of the pain. After a few minutes, we managed to speak to thank the bartender as our food arrived.

"Wow that was some good stuff," Angela grinned.

I smiled back at her and dove into my dinner. When the bartender circled back around, I ordered the both of us a Bass Pale Ale to round out our dinner experience. Angela laughed when the bartender showed up with another round of shots from the Irishman. He tipped his hat graciously again and we included him in on our toast this time. After the second beer, I tried to explain to Angela the rest of the story with Jacob over the noise of the bar. The scene replayed back in my mind as I tried to get the details right. I was struggling through the slight alcohol daze to remember but apparently something was coming out right. Angela's face would turn from awe to shock and finally laughter when I reached the part about Mike punching Jacob in the face. That was where I began to trail off, getting lost in my memories inside my head. The rough hands on the side of my face crushing me to his lips, the way that they gently caressed mine in almost perfect texture.

Another shot was placed in front of me and I grabbed it up reflexively, preparing to toast the man beside me in thanks. I turned to smile at him and thank him but realized the seat was empty. Was I imagining things?

"Oh my God!" I heard Angela exclaim and I turned back around to see her staring at something near the entrance.

I turned on the stool and spotted immediately what she was gushing over. I threw back the shot without a toast this time. His pale skin was beautiful, even in the eerie glow of the pub's lighting. His eyes were dark, almost predatory, and his hair was now dry and standing up but disheveled like he just rolled out of bed. The jeans he wore were loose but the white shirt he wore under his open pea coat was tight across his chest, accenting the muscle hiding under the fabric. I also noticed that there was not a dark haired pixie trailing behind him or in the bar at all.

Angela bumped me with her elbow and smiled. I knew that look; she would grill me later for withholding information as long as I did. Apparently I was openly gawking at him, because Edward spotted me from across the room and smiled. It was almost earth shattering how perfect this boy was and the reactions he drew out of me. I was shy and reserved at home, not interested in boys and ready for adventure. But I'd only heard him speak a maximum six words and I was completely enthralled with this stranger. Something about him was intriguing and it made me perturbed that I couldn't explore this curiosity further.

I turned back to the bar and ordered another pale ale for Angela and me. I wasn't exactly sure where my limits were, but according to the clock behind the bar, we had been here a couple hours. I was feeling it but not to the point I was sick.

The tingling of awareness skittered across the back of my neck and down my side as someone sat down in the prior seat of the Irishman. I took the last swing out of my glass and turned to see green eyes bearing into mine.

"You drink like a sailor," he chuckled and ordered a honey porter.

Angela giggled over my shoulder. "You should take a shot with her," she threw out for suggestion.

"Certainly," he smiled, "What will you have?"

"I've been drinking Patrón," I smiled as the look on his face was rather flabbergasted. "What? Are you chicken?" I asked and poked his elbow.

"Most certainly not!" he exclaimed, "I'm just surprised you're still standing."

"Technically," I laughed, "I'm sitting." I wiggled my feet tapping the wood of the barstool with my toes.

He laughed as the bartender poured Edward and me both shots. Angela declined another but asked for a glass of water instead. I turned to face the gorgeous boy in order to toast him properly, lifting my shot glass to meet his.

"I've run out of things to toast to," I laughed loudly.

"To new friends then," he smiled.

"To new friends," I repeated then we threw our shots back with a large gulp.

The night wore on and the pub got more and more crowded as the hour grew later. I couldn't count how many drinks I had or exactly how long we had been sitting here. Angela had stopped drinking when Edward showed up and had to direct me to the bathroom once or twice. She eventually cut me off and paid my tab for me since I clearly wasn't able to. She was a saint.

I smiled a lazy smile as I turned back to talk to Edward. We had been drinking so much that I hadn't really had a coherent conversation with him. I felt robbed of details that I should know. Where was he from? Where was he planning on going to school? Where was Alice? How did he like Europe?

He was obviously holding up much better than I was as he polished off another honey porter. He chuckled out loud when he saw my smile. I must look like a stupid, happy drunk to him; nothing but a big grin and not a care in the world.

"Have you had enough?" he asked.

"I think so," I pointed to his glass, "but I want to know what that tastes like."

"It's very smooth and sweet, the honey is…" he began before I interrupted.

"I want to _taste_ it. Not hear about it," I pouted.

"I think you're done for the night dear," he smiled at Angela over my shoulder.

Dear? Did he just call me dear?

"I'm a big girl, I can handle it," I shot back. Oh boy Bella, reign yourself in.

A look of confusion crossed his perfect features as I slid off the bar stool and planted my feet on the floor. I turned and faced him fully before placing both of my hands on the sides of his face and pulling his wet mouth to mine. I moved my small lips across his smooth ones and clinging to him for my life. I was surprised when he started to kiss me back, opening his mouth for little bits of air as the friction rolled on. He managed to loop an arm behind my back to hold me so I wouldn't fall and slid his other hand into my hair on the left side of my head. I thought I saw fireworks behind my eyes as we kissed, tiny explosions of pleasure rocketing through my brain as I made out with the most perfect man imaginable. I felt his teeth graze slowly across my bottom lip and I moaned in a primal response and kissed him deeper.

I heard the sound of a gasp behind me and a throat clearing to my right. The arm wrapped behind my back suddenly vanished and I turned quickly towards the intruder about to give them an earful when I was met with pale green and gold eyes.

My world began to turn on its axis and I was falling towards the filthy floor as everything faded to black.

* * *

**A/N: This is now my new favorite chapter. I kept giggling the whole time I was writing it.**

**If I offered you Edward as a dessert, what unlimited toppings would you put on him? :)**


	6. Chapter 6: City of Love

**A/N: MMM an Edward sundae sounds tasty right now since its almost dinner time for me!**

**Big hugs to all of my reviewers and followers. I lub you! :)**

**Sending big love to druscilla831 this week. She beta'd for me solo since isnoggedmalfoy is on vacay.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, nor do I live in Europe. :(  
**

* * *

The inside of my eye lids turned pink as the sun began to rise. I was warm, wrapped in a heat but it was comforting, not overbearing. I was laying down on something soft that supported my weight nicely. The scent of honey and lilacs filled my nose with an under current of smoke and ale. Was someone smoking near me? I didn't want to open my eyes to find out. I smiled as the soft breeze blew wisps of hair across my face and tickled my nose. It was so quiet and peaceful here in this place.

A horn blared outside of the window and I sat up on the bed with a start. My head swam with nausea and I fell back to the mattress. That place wasn't real, it was just a dream. I turned my head to the window where the intruding noise had come from to find someone had opened it to let some air in. The sun was lighting up the London skies, but I couldn't read the clock as the numbers refused to straighten out in my sight. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath to attempt to will away the urge to vomit. While the rest had been my own imaginings, the scents from my dream still lingered. I ran my hands from my chest and down my body, feeling the rough material wrapped around my frame. I plunged my nose into what I thought was a lapel and tried to identify the scents again. Honey… lilac… smoke… and…

The smell of alcohol made my stomach churn and I could feel the vomit rising in my throat. I tried to stand, feeling like a foal on new legs as I wobbled to the bathroom. I made it to the sink and hung my head to get the disgusting mess out of my throat and mouth. I felt someone come behind me and hold my hair with thin fingers behind my face. I pitied whoever had to see me like this.

"Shhh," Angela's delicate voice reassured as she smoothed the hair plastering itself to my sweating forehead, "You'll feel better in a minute."

I grabbed the knob on the sink and turned it on to start cleaning my mess. My head was a bit clearer and my vision less foggy. I glanced up from the sink into the mirror in front of me. Eyeliner and mascara streaked down my cheeks in rivers and smears, my hair was a tangle of knots and the coat I wore was too big for my body but it was familiar.

"What in the hell happened last night?" I questioned Angela as she secured my hair into a ponytail.

"Umm…" she stalled.

"That bad?"

"Well you were doing fine until the mysterious Edward showed up," she laughed, "But then you started drinking multiple shots and beers. I thought you were doing okay until you started swaying on the stool so I cut you off and paid the tab."

"So did I pass out or something? I look like someone ran me over with a bulldozer."

"Not exactly," she winced at the comment. "In your drunken state, you got up the nerve to kiss Edward at the bar, but his girlfriend showed up and caught you two. He got up to leave and when you turned to see her standing there you either fainted or passed out. I'm not sure."

I looked down at the coat and then looked back to Angela's face in confusion.

"Edward came back into the pub after a few words with whom I'm assuming is Alice outside. I was trying to wake you up when he came back in and wrapped you in his coat and carried you back to our room. He didn't talk much on the way here, but before he left he told me to tell you to keep the coat." She giggled at the last sentence.

I was still confused, but after looking in the mirror again I decided I needed a shower more than an explanation.

"I need to shower… I'm sure I smell like stale beer," I told Angela and ushered her out of the tiny bathroom.

"I'll say," she said playfully squeezing her nose shut and swatting the air in front of her face.

I hung the coat on the hook behind the door and striped out of my filthy clothes. Falling onto a busy pub's floor was not the ideal place for my wardrobe. My shirt and jeans were covered in stains and my vest had some sort of dried up sauce on it. My body reeked of alcohol, making the room almost unbearable to be in. I flipped the exhaust fan on and turned on the shower to a hot temperature that was still bearable. The steam filled up the room quickly and I stepped into the shower stall.

As I washed my hair I contemplated last night's events. While the details were fuzzy, I had to rely a lot on Angela's recount to put the pieces together. Edward belonged to Alice, but if that was the case, why was he at the pub alone? Did they get in a fight and he go out looking for fun? Of course I couldn't be sure that they were fighting. Maybe he wanted to go out and explore without her, maybe he was _that_ kind of boy. No respect for the one he was with and willing to go to any lengths to get what he wanted in the moment. I frowned as the water rinsed the conditioner down my back. I still couldn't fathom the fact that I had kissed him, but even if I did do it, he could have stopped me. He should have stopped me being that he had a girlfriend. Worst case scenario, he could have said it was entirely my fault. But he didn't, so where did that leave me?

I started contemplating how many times I was going to have to see Alice and Edward in the next nine days. How many evil looks would I get from Alice? Would Edward even notice me or say hello? I was positive I was giving him his pea coat back. Keeping it would create even more tension between the three of us. I resolved to return the coat before we left for Paris and thoroughly apologize to Alice for what I had done, even if I couldn't remember it.

I cut the water and inhaled the lingering steam in the stall to clear my head. I always felt better after a shower when I was sick at home. Hot showers and hot soup usually fixed everything. I still had a headache but I felt like my thought process was normal. I stepped out of the shower and dried off before wrapping the towel around my body. I eye balled the coat on the back of the door as thoughts of the first time I met Edward ran through my mind. Shaking the thoughts gently away, I looked back to the mirror. The makeup still lingered in traces on my face so I ran water in the sink and soaped up my hands to clean scrub the rest of the make up away. After scrubbing and rinsing my face clean, I took one last look in the mirror. I was clean, bare and a little bruised, the same Bella that I was before my adventures yesterday, undistinguishable in a crowd, boring and ordinary.

Angela was already packing up when I walked back into the room with my stack of clothes. Both of the beds were made and both of our bags were on the ends of each bed. She had laid out my favorite pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt with a light coat for me to wear on the train. I also spotted the glass of water with little packets of Alka-Seltzer and Advil tucked beside it on my nightstand. I had never seen this motherly side of Angela before and it was nice to know that it was there when I needed it the most. I put my dirty clothes into a spare duffle bag I'd brought with me and laid Edward's pea coat beside my luggage. While Angela went into the bathroom, I quickly threw on my underwear and clothes and wrapped the towel around my hair to soak up any remaining wetness. My eyes kept trailing to the coat bedside my bags over and over. What was I going to say to him?

'_Hey Edward, here's your coat back. Sorry about kissing you, even though I don't remember a thing. Tell Alice I'm REALLY sorry.'_

I clapped my hand over my eyes at the stupid thought. Who was I kidding? I probably wouldn't get two words out in front of him and Alice probably wanted to kill me. This was going to be bad.

I tore open the Alka-Seltzer pack and dropped them into the water to fizz up. I hated the taste of the medicine but if it was going to keep me from throwing up on the train I was all for it. I noticed another small glass hiding behind the water. The liquid was clear, but the size of the glass tipped me off instantly as to what it was.

When Angela reentered the room I held up the glass to her with a confused look on my face.

"Are you trying to kill me on this trip?!" I questioned.

"Hair of the dog," she retorted and went back to getting dressed.

"What?"

"Hair of the dog, Bella. It's supposed to help ease your hangover symptoms by taking a drink of alcohol since that's what's making you sick. Granted, that's only a shot of cheap vodka from the bar downstairs but its close enough."

"But that makes no sense… How am I supposed to feel better by drinking something that made me feel like crap in the first place?"

"It's up to you Bella; I've just heard it works for some people."

I sat the shot back on the nightstand and grabbed the fizzy water and the Advil. There was no way I was taking the chance that a shot would backfire on me.

****

We boarded the Eurostar train heading for Paris at 10:30 later that morning. Before we left the hotel, I walked down to room 664 and knocked but no one would answer. The arrival of the cleaning crew clued me in that they had already checked out. I searched through the student's heads in the crowded lobby before we boarded the buses, but I couldn't spot the glorious head of bronze hair I was looking for. It was almost like Edward and Alice had vanished from sight.

I sat on the train next to the window with my temple pressed to the cool glass. Edward's coat was folded in my lap as I absent mindedly rolled my fingers across the fabric again and again. I felt miserable and I was sure my face showed it. I tried again and again to remember the details of the previous night as the train pushed on for France. I could remember drinking with Angela; I could remember Edward walking into the pub, but after that thinks started to blur, almost as if I was trying to look at the scene through a fog. I pinched my nose with my fingers to ease the growing headache. I could smell the honey and lilac scent lingering on my finger tips as I held them there.

Jessica, who was sitting next to me talking to Angela and Ben across the aisle turned to look at me in pity. I prayed that Angela hadn't disclosed all of the details to her. It was bad enough I was hung over, but it would be much worse if Jessica decided to play a game of twenty questions. Instead I ended up with a play by play of her entire night with Mike Newton. As if I needed anything more to make my stomach turn. While she had stopped by our room earlier to pickup her things, she barely had given a brief overview of her soiree. Now she was in full blown gossip mode, normally I was prepared to tune her out, but with all of my attention going towards my headache it was nearly impossible.

After a long monologue she stole a breath and asked the question I feared.

"So what did you do last night?" she perked her eyebrow in curiosity.

I groaned and thankfully Angela came to my rescue from across the aisle.

"She ate some bad food last night when we went out," she informed Jessica taking the attention off of me for a few moments, "I gave her some medicine so hopefully she feels better before tonight."

I saw Jessica eye balling the coat that I ran my finger tips over in my lap. I knew she was going to ask whose it was, it was just her nature. Angela grabbed her attention back again though to ask more about Mike and what plans they should make in Paris.

I took the reprieve as a blessing and leaned my head back to the glass. I could here the train gliding across the tracks as I closed my eyes. The passengers were a challenge to tune out, but finally my sleepiness took over and the sounds around me faded to a low hum. I pulled the coat close to my chest, hugging it like a child with her favorite teddy bear. It was comforting in a strange way even though the item didn't belong to me. It had kept me warm last night, sheltered me when I was feeling at my worst, tugged on my memory to remember the night before but provided comfort now while my head ached. I felt my hand fall back to the fabric with its lazy strokes. My lips formed a word as the wave of sleep crashed over me.

"Edward," I whispered into the blackness.

****

The train arrived in Paris sooner than I thought it should have. Angela had to shake me awake as we pulled into the station. Apparently I had been dreaming pretty heavily and began to talk and move in my sleep which in turn alarmed Jessica so she traded seats with Ang.

"Oh no! What did I say?!" I fielded the question, terrified of the results. I remembered what I had dreamed about and needless to say it was _not_ something I wanted the public to know.

"You said Edward's name… a lot," she giggled as we boarded the bus to our hotel, "Then you started shifting in your seat like you were uncomfortable so I switched with Jessica after I saw the look on her face."

This was just fantastic. If Jessica had questions before, she definitely had more of them now.

I pulled my iPhone from my purse as the bus got moving and started to type up a quick email to send to Charlie and Renee when we got to the hotel. While my phone couldn't work here, I still had access to wifi when it was available and the trip packet said that the hotel in Paris where we'd be staying did. I asked about the weather, talked about my flight and my night out, omitting all the details about getting drunk or passing out. I asked about Jacob and made sure that my dad thanked him for the gift again and that my friends really liked it. I couldn't bring myself to write the sentence but I wanted to tack on 'We need to talk when I get home.' I chickened out and saved the draft without it.

We arrived at the hotel in what seemed like mere moments. I checked my head and did a quick body scan just to gauge how I was feeling since time felt so fast. The rest of my body was fine; my headache was fading, so that must be a good sign. I grabbed my purse and the pea coat and made it to the sidewalk to wait for my luggage.

I stood on my tip toes straining to get a look over the heads of my peers. Both the Forks and the Chicago groups were still together, even in the mass of people I could recognize some of their faces from the airport. I searched for the bronze plume over all of the other heads but came up empty again. You would think that he would have to be around here somewhere since we all were staying in the same place.

"Bella Swan?" the bus driver called my name as he found my luggage in the compartment.

I stepped up to grab the handle and almost toppled into the side of the bus as I stepped off the curbing. My face flushed a bright pink as I steadied myself and grabbed my bag's handle. I rolled the bag behind me as I made my way to the entrance of the hotel. Angela came up to me not long after with her bags in tow.

"The driver said that the group coordinator is running late," she informed me with worry on her brow, "I think I'm going to see if we can check in so we don't have to stand out here in the rain."

"Rain?" I asked.

She pointed to the sky and I could see the clouds starting to loom in over the buildings above. Angela was right, if we didn't check in, we would have to stand outside. There was no way the hotel would let the entire group crowd the small lobby area. She pushed through the revolving door and I followed in the next opening with my bag.

****

Angela and I waited in the room together for a message from one of the chaperones that the coordinator had arrived but it never came. We could hear people making their way down the hall as the hours passed; no doubt soaked by the rain that had been falling at a steady pace since we'd checked in.

The room in Paris was much different than the room in London. For one, Angela and I wouldn't be sleeping in the same room, even though we were both sitting together now looking out the window. A group of two rooms were connected, sharing a small bathroom in the middle with doors on both sides for privacy. I was grateful that we still had beds that were a decent size even though the room was much smaller.

Angela stood quietly and made her way to the door adjoining our rooms.

"I'm going to go see Ben for a minute and find out what's going on," she turned as she opened the door, "Will you be okay?"

"Yep, I'm not going anywhere," I smiled.

I heard the door click behind her and then there was silence.

I turned back to the window and brought my knees up to my chest and hugged them tightly while continuing to watch the rain fall. I was alone; alone with my thoughts, without anyone to interrupt them for at least a few minutes. I closed my eyes and listened to my gentle intake of breath and then exhaled. I had to come up with a plan to talk to my parents about New York and it only made sense to return from my trip to be fully prepared. I'd sent off the email this morning without any clues about it, but how long could I keep stalling? I didn't like keeping this a secret, but I didn't know whether to clue them in ahead of time or to just bear the brunt of it when I got home: I was torn.

The feelings of loneliness and guilt began to creep into my chest and wrap themselves around my beating heart. I could feel each one tugging on the strings to make me confess that what I was doing was wrong. My brain kicked in and started throwing out the random guilty questions: Should I just go to UCLA? What would make everyone happy? Would it just be easier? I covered my ears and shook my head, causing my hair to swish around and cover my face. I squeezed my eyes shut and formed a resolve. I was going to do what was best for me; this was my time.

As I opened my eyes and pushed my hair back from my eyes, I turned to look at the coat that hung silently from a hook on the wall. Hanging there, like an omniscient figure, waiting to provide warmth and comfort to its bearer. I stood and padded over to its hanging spot and removed it from the wall. Holding it at arms length, I examined the fabric over and over to make sure that I hadn't damaged it while it was left in my charge. I had run my fingers over the material like an old woman petting her favorite cat, but thankfully I had not worn any trails on the garment. I turned to look for a phone in the room only to find that there wasn't one. Looks like I was making a trip downstairs to the front desk.

I slipped on my shoes near the entrance to my room when I heard a knock from the door connecting to the bathroom. I couldn't even get the words 'come in' out before Jessica, Mike, Angela and Ben all burst through the door in a fit of laughter and noise.

"Oh my God I can't believe you sometimes Mike Newton," Jessica laughed and swatted his arm, "Hey Bella! We were just coming to see if… Oh! Are you going out?" she asked and tilted her head. The room fell silent as they all looked from the coat in my hands to my face.

"You were going to see if what?" I smiled nervously.

"Well since the group stuff is cancelled for today we get a free day to go out so we were going to go out on a double date, err I mean go out, and see the city. Did you want to go?" she asked hesitantly.

I looked to the coat and I looked to the four of them standing there waiting for me to answer.

"If it's a double date…" I started.

"It's not a double date Bella," Angela piped up and gave Jessica a dirty look, "We're just going out as a group and wanted to see if you wanted in. It'll be fun, I promise," she smiled her biggest smile to attempt to reassure me.

I looked at all of there faces, taking their emotions in one by one as I stood across from them in the tiny hotel room. Angela looked excited and hopeful that I would come, Ben was excited as well but no doubt ready to leave, Mike looked like he didn't care one way or the other and Jessica was little Ms. Impatient, tapping her foot on the floor.

"Sure I'll go," I smiled. Chasing Edward would have to wait, he'd get his coat back… eventually.

****

We had made it through a good chunk of The Louvre when my stomach, as well as others, started to growl.

"I'm _starving_," Mike began to whine and rub his stomach.

"Okay, okay!" Angela and I chimed in together then laughed at our jinx.

After searching for the exit for about 10 minutes, we made our way back out to the streets to find food. There was a trendy looking place called Le Cabaret across the street that Jessica begged for us to go to after she spotted the wild colored interior through the doorway.

"Please…It will be so fun! When do we ever get to do something different!" she squealed in a too excited and high pitched voice.

Angela and Ben looked skeptical and Mike was along for the ride, it was down to me to make the final decision.

"Okay. Anything to get you to stop making that ridiculous noise," I sighed.

Jessica nearly tackled me with a hug of joy. I could only laugh and hug her back.

The interior was as wild I we had expected, being as the second half of the building was a night club. There were mirrors all over the place and neon lights lining the rooms that would change colors every so often. Since it was early, the club had 80's music playing; it was in French and too quiet to really understand. After we ordered our food and drinks, A-Ha's "Take On Me" came through the speakers and our table began to laugh and sing. It was all good fun until another customer complained to our waiter. I was quiet the rest of our meal, eating and silently observing my company.

It was odd to watch my friends interact in their couplings as the only one in the group who was alone. Angela and Ben walked in front with their fingers laced tightly together walking close and talking quietly. Mike and Jessica were much more boisterous in nature, poking and tickling each other as we made our way down the damp sidewalks back to the hotel.

I was bringing up the rear alone. Much like before we had left the hotel, I was alone in my thoughts again. I laughed to myself as I thought of the old adage about Paris and looked to my friends ahead. The city of love indeed, yet here I was without love while it surrounded everyone else. The wind decided to stir up and I pulled the warm coat closed to block out its chill. For a summer trip, this day was unusually colder than I had expected. I thanked my own good sense that I decided to bring Edward's jacket instead of going without.

We crossed the street and were only a few buildings from the hotel when I felt something bounce off my shoulder. It was light and I turned my head but nothing was there. I looked to the sky to see the clouds hanging still hanging above.

'Rain again,' I thought to myself, 'wonderful.'

The touch came again in the same spot, but with a little more force this time. It couldn't be rain; water wasn't that precise or heavy.

I turned around and came face to face with the short dark haired girl I'd been hoping to see after I had returned the jacket.

"Alice," I gave her a weary smile, "I was going to…"

She shut me up with the raising of her right hand and the look in her eye that screamed suspicion.

* * *

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN DUN!**

**Who would you want to get in a fight with.... Alice or Rosalie?**


	7. Chapter 7: Revelation

**A/N: Hmm seems like no one wants to fight with Alice or Rosalie. I agree, lets make love not war.**

**Big shouts to isnoggedmalfoy for solo beta'n this chapter for me, druscilla831 is on vacay so getting a break this week. ****:)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters cause SM owns all that. I wish I owned some of Alice's hot shoes.**

**

* * *

**

I closed my eyes and winced at the force that was probably going to knock me into next week. While Alice was tiny, I could tell by the look on her face that she was more than a little perturbed that I was wearing Edward's jacket. It felt like hours were passing without any hand to face connection so I started to let down my guard. That's when I heard the fit of bubbly laughter in front and behind me.

"Bella?" Alice's tinkling voice called for me to open my eyes.

As I slowly lifted each lid, I half expected to see a fist come flying out of no where at my face. Instead I was greeted with a rosy cheeked pixy, her hands at her sides and a grin on her face.

"Are you alright?" she prodded.

"Yeah, I guess," I managed to get out.

Laughter erupted behind me and I turned to see my friends sticking their noses right in my almost catastrophe. I glared at them menacingly as a sign to shut up and back off and they took the hint well, forming a little huddle behind me a few feet back to talk quietly. I turned back to Alice, who was now staring at me curiously. I waited for the anger to return but when it didn't, I started to pull my arms out of the coat's sleeves so I could hand it to her and get the hell out of here.

"What are you doing Bella," she said and laid a gentle hand on my arm to stop me, "You're going to need that when it rains again."

"But… It's not mine," I stammered. Why wouldn't she just let me apologize already?

"I know," she grinned, "But Edward said you can have it so I'd like for you to do so."

I was sure the look that crossed my face was a mixture of confusion and thankfulness. I was grateful I could at least stay warm until I got back to the hotel, grateful she wasn't going to punch my lights out, but confused all the same. This was her boyfriend's jacket, why on earth would she want some other woman wearing it around town?

"You look puzzled," she stated the obvious.

I slipped my right arm back into the sleeve I'd removed it from, inwardly reveling in the feel of the fabric.

"I just don't understand," I said and looked over my shoulder to see Angela's worried face over the huddle of my friends.

"Would you like to talk somewhere… private," she paused to take note that my friend's where indeed listening in.

"Sure," I said. The worst thing that could happen was that she get me alone and beat me to a pulp. "There's a café right around the corner, if that's okay with you?"

"That sounds wonderful," her eyes lit up and her voice was back to that magical sound again.

I turned and approached my group of friends, interrupting the little conversations they were having.

"I'm going with her to the café on the next block," I started.

"You're going _alone_?" Jessica asked with tons of stress on the alone part.

"Yeah, we're going to talk."

"Are you sure you don't want someone to go with you?" Angela's motherly concern kicked in.

"No, I'll be fine. It's just coffee and a chat; I'll be in a public place. I'm fine…" even if my insides didn't feel that way.

The group eyed each other and finally agreed to let me go alone. I said my goodbyes and walked back over to where Alice was standing, tapping her little ballet flat to the beat of an impatient tune.

"Sorry about that," I apologized quickly, "they would've followed us if I didn't handle it before hand."

"Oh it's no problem," she giggled, "My family is much like that as well; Always wanting to be in the know about everything."

We walked towards the small café I had spotted on the way to The Louvre earlier in the day. It was small and cozy on a corner of a busy intersection. There were pots that hung from the black railing that enclosed the outdoor seating area, filled with fragrant flowers that were soaking up the rain from this morning. The interior was a rich light brown that reminded me of coffee with cream and more potted plants decorated around the counter and the small tables. I placed my order; a soy macchiato with a little caramel sauce, Alice ordered some other lavish drink with a long list of additions. I couldn't name half of the things that she said, mainly because she had ordered in fluent French.

We took our seat and soon after the barista brought our orders to our table. I picked a table facing the intersection outside. I wasn't good with confrontation, so I aimlessly looked at the people passing on the sidewalk and the traffic making its way through the city. Hundreds of people with places to go…

"Bella," Alice called, waving her hand in front of my face to pull me from my trance.

"Oh," I blushed, "sorry."

"So I wanted to talk to you," she said then sipped from her oversized but frothy cup of joe.

"Mmmhmm," I took a sip of my coffee as well, but to hide my nerves.

"London was pretty…" she paused looking for the word, "interesting, was it not?" Her eyebrow rose after the question, making it seem like she was toying with me.

"I guess you could say that," I replied. The images of Edward walking in the bar were damn near etched into my frontal lobe at this point.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stick around to help you back to your room," she apologized which caught me off guard, "I was trying to pack up all of my clothes and things so I'd be ready to check out in the morning."

"It's okay," I paused. Did I tell her that Edward did a fine job? No… "Angela was with me the whole night, she did a great job."

"Hmm," was all the noise she made as she took another frothy sip.

The room started to get a little hotter, and it wasn't from the heavy coat I was wearing or the massive cup of coffee in my hands. I could feel the big moment coming, and the fact that Alice was quiet now was solidifying that fact. It felt like the calm before the storm, right before the clouds broke open and let out the lightning and the massive booms of thunder. With quaking hands I lifted my cup to my lips, inhaling the scent of the caramel sauce and espresso. I tilted the cup and parted my lips to let in the hot liquid when the bomb dropped.

"So, you're interested in my brother?" she asked politely.

_WHAT?!_

My brain didn't completely register what she had said until after the shock had dissipated, which had caused me to start choking on the mouthful of coffee that I never got around to swallowing all the way. The hot liquid slid down my throat in a big lump which caused me to cough and clutch my chest to try and catch my breath. My loud noises were attracting the attention of other patrons as I felt my face get red from the lack of oxygen. I felt a hand come down on my back over and over and a water bottle appeared on the table in front of me.

"Here Bella," Alice said in a panic, "Drink some of this."

I clutched the water bottle in my shaking hands and brought it to my lips to take huge pulls of water into my mouth. I felt the cold liquid slide down the walls of my esophagus, cooling the coffee to a bearable temperature. The hand on my back was still patting gently and I realized it was Alice as I sat the bottle down and took in a huge gulp of air.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she sat back down, "I didn't mean to almost kill you."

I eyed the patrons and the baristas behind the counter. The show was obviously over as everyone returned to their work and their conversations before the interruption.

"I'm fine, I think." I took another sip of water and looked out the window.

"So are you?" she prodded as she took her seat across from me again.

I shook my head with a confused look on my face.

"What was the question again?"

**EPOV**

**

* * *

**

I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around my waist and my jaw covered in my favorite shaving cream. I'd have to thank Alice for reminding me to pack it; otherwise I'm sure I'd be taking on a wolverine look at the moment. She was constantly looking out for me wardrobe and style wise. Most days I felt like she wanted me to dress like I was a GQ cover model which could get annoying at times.

'It's in your best interest' she always chimed in.

Well it did bring in the ladies, and that was always nice.

I fumbled through my bag in search of my black Calvin Klein's, snatched up a pair and headed back for the safety of the bathroom. Alice said that she was heading out for awhile, heaven forbid that I flash my ass in case she walked through my suite's doors instead of her own. We had agreed since London that there was no more hanging around the hotel room or answering the door unless we were fully clothed.

Throwing my boxer briefs on the bathroom counter, I grabbed the towel on my waist and toweled off the rest of the water clinging to my body. I folded the towel and hung it back over the rod on the wall before sliding the soft underwear up my legs getting things in place.

I had to laugh at the way things had turned out in London. Not only had the whole luggage fiasco put my twin in such a horrible mood, but to wake up to a girl at your door in a bathrobe was just fantastic. The blush on her cheeks, the sloppy way her wet hair was arranged. She hadn't even bothered to put on socks. Of course Alice had to make friends immediately; she was like a little magnet filled with love and friendship. Sometimes I pictured a little flashing sign over her head when we were at school that read "friend me."

Chuckling to my reflection in the glass, I finished my shave and cleaned up the sink. I stared at my disheveled hair and ruffled it some more with a little gel. My constant state of 'homeless hair' as Alice and my mother called it was the only thing I wouldn't budge on. Alice could buy me an entire new wardrobe for years if she liked, but I was not cutting my hair until I thought it was necessary.

The door to her suite flung open and I could hear it bang closed and Alice's footsteps flitting through the room around her bed. She was excited; I could tell by the way she giggled as she moved around and called my name in a cheery tone.

"Edward!" she called as I put my hand on the bathroom door knob.

"Are you alone?" I asked. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Yes," she laughed, "But not for long!"

My brows furrowed as I opened the door and stepped into her side of the suite. Whatever she was excited about was going to show up and soon by the looks of it. I came into a room of what looked like a clothes explosion. My suitcase and hers were thrown at the foot of her bed. There were cosmetics and various salon products crammed on the night stand, tops and bottoms of both mine and hers grouped up and scattered across every identifiable surface in the room. Alice was in the process of pulling shoes out for an outfit on the end of her bed and pondering between a black pair of stilettos or a red pair of pumps.

"Alice," my tone going sour, "What the hell is going on?"

She turned and the light in her eyes was shining bright and clear with excitement and joy.

"You," she smiled her million dollar smile, "You sir are going on a date."

**BPOV**

**

* * *

**

"I'm going on a date," I said out loud for the second time in a row.

"You can't be serious," Jessica managed to spit out after picking her jaw up off of the floor.

We were all sitting Indian style on my bed making the small room seem even more crammed. I had just returned from the café when I was tackled by both girl's questions and suspicious look-overs. Their main concern was if I was hurt at all, assuming that Alice had laid a heavy hurting on me once she'd gotten me alone. But I was unscathed, in the physical sense anyhow. My mental side was in the process of doing back flips and cartwheels which then faded into a fit of terror and shakes.

'I'm going on a date,' my brain kept screaming at me, 'A date with Edward Cullen.'

"Bella," Jessica snapped her fingers in my face, "wake up girl!"

"You're starting to sound like him," I noted sarcastically.

"Like whom?" she was dumbfounded.

"Oh I don't know Jessica, Mike Newton maybe?" I laughed.

She took a pillow and popped it across the side of my head to which I grabbed a pillow and in an attempt to fight back, hit Angela in the nose instead. After a short gasp, she grabbed a pillow and joined in as we stood up on the bed and swung the pillows at each other. After a few minutes of hard core pillow battles, my pillow burst into a cloud of feathers that covered the three of us. We collapsed unto the bed in a fit of laughter as the door to the bathroom opened.

"Oh my God," I heard one voice say.

"I've died and gone to heaven," the other said.

Jessica, Angela and I all looked up just as Tyler was giving a silent 'thank you' to the heavens with his hands clasped together. Mike and Ben were standing to his left and right, gawking at the three of us on the bed.

"If you're waiting for us to kiss, we've already done that part," Jessica hissed.

Angela and I burst into laughter as the disappointment from her lie crossed the boy's faces. Our laughter was cut short by a small rap of knuckles on my suite's door.

"Mike, can you get that?" I asked. He was closer and not getting squished by two girls.

With a grumble he opened the door and revealed what looked like a pile of clothes with dangling shoes and two legs standing in the doorway. Alice's head peaked around the clothes mountain in her arms and looked to Mike.

"You mind giving me a hand with these?" she asked politely.

Mike carefully took three quarters of the stack from Alice's arms and let her into the room. The look that dawned on her face when she saw the shape of my room and the three of us girls on the bed was priceless.

"Oh," she exclaimed then looked to the boys, "If I was interrupting something, I can come back later."

"No Alice, it's okay," I piped up as I pulled feathers from my hair, "the boys were just leaving."

The collective groan that echoed through the room sounded like a pack of wolves looking for a meal. Mike plopped the stack of clothes down on the end of the feather covered bed and turned to follow Tyler back out of the room.

"We'll be in Eric's room whenever you need us," he called back to Jessica.

"Okay," she squeaked.

After the boys had cleared out, Angela and Jessica pushed their way off the bed and I took a deep breath to refill my lungs. Alice was watching me intently with her green stare from the end of the bed, waiting for me to make the next move.

"I guess I should get going," Jessica said as she plucked the last feather from her shirt.

"Why?" I questioned, "Where are you headed off to?"

"I figured you'd want some privacy getting ready," she said. Something in her voice sounded like she was hurt.

"Jess, no one said you and Ang have to go anywhere. I'm sure Alice doesn't mind. Right?" I looked to Alice for reassurance.

"Of course not!" her voice sounded horrified that she had upset either one of them.

"Okay," Jessica and Angela both said in unison.

"What needs to be done?" Angela asked.

"Well first," Alice's eyes wrinkled up with her smile, "Bella needs to get those feathers out of her hair and shower, unless we are going for a chicken coop look for tonight."

The room erupted with laughter and the girls converged on picking feathers from my hair. The next hour was filled with a shower, lots of hair styling as well as makeup and hairspray. We were all moving at a pretty good pace; Jessica was working my makeup, Angela was drying and curling my hair and Alice was in the rear supervising and giving pointers here and there. The whole ordeal was more than I thought was necessary. I could have gone out without the big production, but Alice insisted so I had to play along. We emerged from the bathroom into Angela's suite where four outfits had been laid out where it was a feather free zone. They were all obviously not my clothes, as two out of the four outfits were too flashy for my liking.

"I can tell you right now," I pointed to the two outfits on the left, "I will not wear those in public."

Jessica held up the mini skirt that was barely big enough to cover anything.

"Why not Bella?" she laughed, "It's cute."

"For you, maybe; for me, I don't think so," I snapped.

Angela held up the second outfit I'd turned down, a pair of navy shorts and a white sleeveless top with ruffles.

"Um no, it rained earlier today remember?" I tried to remind her how chilly it was.

"But the shirt is cute Bella, you should at least keep that in consideration," she pointed out.

"Good idea," Alice chimed in as I groaned.

"Why can't I just wear my own clothes?" I pouted.

"Because they are so boring Bells," Jessica pointed out, "You're in Paris and you're going out, you need to look good, not like you're going to biology."

The three of them giggled at my misery and went on to the two outfits still on the bed. Both of them were pants of different styles, one being grey and the other was black. The top for the grey pants was black and also sleeveless, but as I flipped it over I realized that it was also backless, being as the neckpiece was the only thing that held it to the hanger. The top for the black pants was a fiery red which was going to make me a magnet for attention. I groaned at the horror of it all.

"Can't I at least wear jeans?" I whined to my audience.

"Do you have any that are decent?" Alice asked.

I thought about it, and in a compromise attempt I pointed to the white top.

"I'll wear that shirt if you have a pair of dark jeans," I bartered.

Alice's eyes lit up and she skipped through to my suite and back with a pair of dark navy jeans.

"These good?" she prompted.

***

We argued about the shoes and I whined about the red scarf Alice insisted tying around my neck. I felt foolish sitting on the edge of Angela's bed since mine was still covered in feathers. I'd resolved to clean them up whenever I got back tonight. I did everything I could to take my mind off of what I was about to do; looking out the window to the city lights, pulling at the ruffles on my shirt. I started running my hands up and down my jeans to wipe the sweat that was no doubt collecting on my palms.

To say that I was nervous would have been the understatement of the century. Dates with boys at home were no problem; I was never interested in any of them. But this boy was different, not to mention way out of my league. I couldn't believe that I had actually agreed to this whole ordeal in the café this afternoon.

"_So are you?"_

"_What was the question again?"_

"_Are you interested in my brother?"_

After a long explanation, I confessed to Alice that I'd thought Edward was taken, by her. She had pointed out the obvious to me after a lot of laughter; their eyes were both green and they both had brown hair, even if his was a bronze hue and not styled as well as she'd like it to be. I laughed to myself in the hotel room alone, 'homeless hair' she had called it.

I thought about how fast I could run down the hall and hide in someone's room instead of mortifying myself even further by going on this date. It was bad enough that Alice had confirmed that I did indeed make out with her brother in London, why did I have to make myself suffer further?

A knock on the door brought my thoughts back to the present. I stood, on wobbly legs, since Alice insisted that I wear these fire red pumps. I regained what little of my balance I had left and shuffled over to the door and pressed my eye to the peep hole. Sure enough it was Edward on the other side.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, only one way to find out how this night was going to go, and that was to let it begin in the first place. I turned the cool brass knob and opened the door, meeting his emerald eyes instantly.

"Hello," he said, his cool breath fanning my face. He offered me a genuine smile and ran his hands through his glorious bronze hair.

* * *

**A/N: Yay for POV shifts! I'm going to try and keep them as non-confusing as possible in the future, so they'll all be clearly marked.**

**Remember…. Reviews are love and I love you!**

**If you had a first date with Edward, what would you wear?**


	8. Chapter 8: First Time For Everything

**A/N: YAY! Both of my betas are back and doing a lovely job... so big love bugs to isnoggedmalfoy & druscilla831.**

**Also had a French translator for part of this (thank god!) so give some love to Astrid13.**

**If you want to see the restaurant that's in this chapter, I've linked in on my profile.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, nor do I live in France or speak French. Don't butcher me. :)  
**

* * *

**BPOV**

**

* * *

**The nerves that had me shaking before I opened the door returned and I silently cursed myself for thinking I could do this alone. He was perfection standing in the doorway. His bronze hair was a perfect mess as it was in London, his jaw line wiped clean of any traces of stubble. The black shirt he wore was short sleeved and tight across his chest, revealing his defined muscles and leaving little to the imagination. He had rounded out the outfit with a pair of dark grey dress pants and expensive shoes. My legs started to wobble again as I looked to the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked with deep concern.

"Yeah…" I managed to squeak out to the hotel's red carpet, "I think it's these shoes." I tried to play off my nervousness.

"If you need more time I'll gladly wait for you," he said politely.

I looked up to see the look on his face. His smile was genuine and patiently waiting for my answer.

"Okay," I couldn't help but smile back. I left the door open and made my way to my bag to find new shoes for the night. Thankfully Angela had brought it in her room to keep it feather free. After a minute, I realized Edward was standing in the hallway facing the opposite direction.

"Aren't you coming in?" I asked, confused.

"Was I invited?" his body suddenly blocking the light in the doorway.

"That's why I left the door open…" I laughed.

He stepped into the room but left the door open behind him. He began to look around at my small hotel room as I dug through my bag on the floor. The silence in the room made the small space feel more like a tomb than a place to sleep.

"So," he started breaking the silence, "nice place you have here," he finished with a chuckle.

I played along, "Yeah, it has all the amenities a girl could ask for. A bed…a view… oh and a shared bathroom!"

His deep laughter was completely opposite of his sister's tinkling laughter. I found my trusty black ballet flats and started slipping off Alice's pumps.

"I take it your room is different? I noticed you weren't on this floor." Great Bella, now you sound like a stalker.

"No, we're much higher up this time. The rooms are a little bigger but we still share a bathroom," he replied as he watched me put on my shoes.

I stood and looked down to my feet and then over to the shoes Alice let me borrow.

"She's going to kill me for not wearing those isn't she?" I questioned.

Edward threw his hands up in an attempt to show innocence. "I won't tell her."

I walked over to the door and grabbed my purse. "I think I'm ready," I started blushing again.

"It's kind of cold where we're going, you may want a jacket."

"Oh," my brain started running through possibilities, "Won't you need one?"

"No I'll be fine," his dazzling smile appeared again.

I shuffled through the jackets that Angela and I had hung on the back of her door and realized that Edward's coat was still in my room.

"I'll be right back," I said as I opened up the bathroom door and made my way into my room.

**EPOV**

**

* * *

**She disappeared into the adjoining room and took her fragrance with her. I stood patiently near the doorway to the hallway, inhaling as the scent in the room changed as the air stirred in the space she left. Bella came back into the room with my coat in her hands a few moments later.

"I really don't need a coat Bella, I'll be fine," I insisted.

"It's yours anyway, plus I have my own jacket," she announced and plucked a jacket from a hanger on the door.

I couldn't help but laugh inwardly, I'm sure there was no winning with her determination.

"Shall we?" I motioned to the hallway as I let her pass in front of me. I took the liberty of shutting the door behind us.

As we walked down the hallway together, I could feel her nervousness grow. I risked glances at her face, only to find her blankly staring at the carpet as she walked and a blush coming to her cheeks when she caught me looking. She was unlike any other girl I'd ever taken on a date. Most of the girls I went to school with were very talkative and very interested, carrying most of the conversation by themselves throughout the entire night. Bella however was quiet and shy, but once you got her talking she was engaged and entertaining. Her emotions were easy to read and her face was beautiful in its own right.

"So where are we going?" she asked in the elevator.

"You'll see," I smiled, looking into her wide eyes.

Her face changed into a dazed appearance and I watched as her full bottom lip separated from the top. I heard her breathing change slightly, growing quicker in pace as she continued to stare at my mouth. I began lifting my hand to stroke her jaw line as the elevator chimed that we had reached the ground floor. I hastily tucked my hand into my coat pocket as she came out of her trance and we exited the elevator into the lobby.

**BPOV**

**

* * *

**It felt like the inside of the elevator shaft was on fire and I was trapped in this tiny space with Edward as the world melted around me. I was staring at his mouth, those perfect pink pieces of flesh as they slowly pulled back to reveal his brilliantly white and straight teeth. I could feel his eyes resting on my face as we descended towards the lobby; the emerald color was almost blazing in the soft recessed lighting.

The soft bump of the elevator reaching the ground floor and the chime of the doors opening caused the light in his eyes to dim out. The cool air rushing into the tiny cabin as the metal doors parted chilled the emotions and heat coursing through me. I emerged from my trance, cursing horrible timing internally like a banshee on a rampage.

He hooked his arm with mine in an old worldly sense as we made our way from the lobby to the curb to flag down a taxi. The night air wasn't cold, but crisp and the smell of the rain still clung to the breeze. A taxi pulled to the curb and Edward unhooked his arm to open the door for me. I climbed in and started to slide over, only to realize he was coming around to the other side. I slid back into my seat and buckled up my seat belt. I could hear Edward giving the driver directions in French, fluently, much like his sister.

I arched an eyebrow at him inquisitively. "Still not telling me where we're going?"

"It's a surprise," he answered in a light tone.

In the dark taxi I could feel the energy between the two of us building as we made our way through the Paris streets. I began to play with the buttons on my coat and from the corner of my eye I caught the movement of his hand rubbing his pant leg. I came to the conclusion that we were both nervous, which made me feel foolish. I was never nervous around boys, ever.

We crossed a small channel and I saw our destination up ahead. As the driver slowed and came to a stop, Edward paid the man graciously and exited the cab. I put my hand on the door handle to get out, still amazed at the location that he had chosen. The air suddenly whooshed in as Edward opened the door for me and reached out his hand to help me out of the car.

"The Eiffel Tower," I gasped as I took his cool hand, "Its so…"

"Dazzling, amazing, beautiful…" he plugged the adjectives into my sentence.

"Yes," I smiled.

He hooked his arm in mine once more as we walked to the base of the tower. After paying for our admission, we walked over to a small elevator with a sign that read Le Jules Vernes Restaurant.

"I thought we were touring the tower," I asked with a puzzled expression.

"We are," he smirked, "But Alice said I had to feed you properly first."

We both laughed and chatted about his sister as we ascended to the second level. I started to glance out of the small windows to try and see the city but the view was obscured by the metal frame of the tower. The elevator stopped and we walked onto the level floor towards the restaurant.

"That place looks really expensive," I whispered to him as I saw the maître d' opening the door for us in a tuxedo.

"Bonsior Monsieur Cullen," the man greeted Edward politely and took his place behind the reservations book.

"You've been here before?" I asked.

"Yes, with my family, many times actually."

"Les réservations pour deux?" the maître d' questioned and looked up and down at my outfit.

As Edward and the man continued to converse, I couldn't help but start to feel out of place. Edward was dressed sharply and as I looked around the restaurant, I noticed that no one was in jeans. Each couple adorned dresses for the ladies and suits for the men. I attempted to get Edward's attention but the maître d' began to lead us to our table.

The table we arrived at was next to a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the city. Large white plates that looked as if ceramic roots grew out of the bottom were laid face down on the table. The small candle threw light on the skinny silverware and the small water goblets.

"Your coat madam?" the maître d' held out his hand to take my coat.

I shrugged out of my jacket as gracefully as possible, exposing my arms and the red scarf around my neck. I watched as he walked back towards the door with our coats in hand then turned my attention back to Edward.

"I feel really under dressed," I confessed to him as I rubbed my sweating palms on my jeans under the table.

"Ne t'inquiète pas ma petite," he said in French, adding a rich accent that almost made me melt.

"What does that mean?" I leaned in to whisper. I was afraid to speak at a normal level in this crowded restaurant.

"Do not fret little one," he leaned as well and whispered to me softly.

I could smell the mint on his breath we were so close and his face was so beautiful in this soft light. It played on his strong jaw and made it eyes dance as the flame flickered in the small globe. He suddenly leaned up from the table and gave me a quick wink.

How I managed to stay in one piece I do not know. This boy was good and knew it and I was turning into a worthless pile of mush in front of him. My nerves made it hard to breathe, but then I realized that I still had Alice's ribbon-like scarf tied around my neck. I grabbed a tail of the bow and pulled it free, thankful for the make shift feeling of freedom from the fabric.

I tucked the scarf into my bag as the waiter approached our table and filled our water goblets. I chanced another glance at Edward's face, but realized that it was behind the menu browsing for what he wanted. As I hastily grabbed the menu to compile my order, I knocked my full water goblet over and sent it crashing to the floor. I could feel my face growing as red as the scarf in my purse as the waiter picked up the glass and headed back to the kitchen to retrieve another.

"Are you alright?" Edward's calming voice reached out from the other side of the table.

"I'm fine, I guess," I lifted the menu to hide my embarrassment as I chose my order.

**EPOV**

**

* * *

**The color in her cheeks suited her pale skin and it constantly reappeared since the evening had begun. I was thrilled she hadn't seen this location coming; even if Alice had made the suggestion, I still felt personally responsible for her joy. I'd have to thank her and my parents for being regular patrons here.

I peeked over my menu to find her staring back at me, warm chocolate eyes with the flicker of candlelight making her look extremely mischievous. I would kill to know what she was thinking in that moment. I could hear the waiter approaching behind me with a soft clinking of ice cubes hitting her fresh water goblet.

"Est-ce que vous avez fait votre choix?" the he asked Bella politely.

I watched the panic cross her face as she looked from the waiter back to me for a translation.

"C'est possible de passer la commande en Anglais s'il vous plaît?" I asked, hoping that the man did indeed know English.

"Yes, pardon meMonsieur,"he answered and turned back to Bella,

"Have you made your choice?"

"Yes," she blushed slightly, "I'll have the pan seared veal and potatoes please."

"And for you Monsieur?"

"I'll have the pan seared beef tornedoes & duck fole gras with potatoes please."

"Very well then; anything to drink tonight?"

"We'll have a bottle of Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore La Court if it's available."

"Of course," the waiter replied and collected our menus.

With no menu to hide behind, Bella was absolutely exquisite sitting across from me at the table. Her dark hair was pulled up and secured with a red ribbon at the crown of her head, letting long ringlets hang down from the ponytail. Her makeup was similar to that which she had on in London, but the shades were different. In London she looked like a vixen, here she was softer, almost more innocent looking. The ruffled white top was obviously Alice's, as Bella looked like she was uncomfortable with it. I saw the direction of my sister's creation, Bella was supposed to look like she belonged in France.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"I was curious to know if you spoke any foreign languages," I lied, "did you have to take any?"

"I took two years of Spanish, but I doubt that ¿Hablas Inglés? is going to do me much good here."

I laughed at her inadvertent joke as the wine was brought to the table. We continued to talk about where she was from and her parents as well as her friends. I talked about my oversized family, and the crazy things that go on in the windy city of Chicago as a doctor's son. Once the wine started to flow, her nerves seemed to dissipate. Her questions were more direct and she wasn't the shy girl that she walked in here as.

********

After dinner and many glasses of wine later, I paid the check and we retrieved our coats from the maître d'. Bella was a bit wobbly and obviously not used to drinking a fine wine with dinner. I hooked my arm in hers and guided her to the elevator.

"That wine was awesome!" she exclaimed as we approached the metal doors, "It tasted like cherries."

I eyed her warily, "Are you feeling up to going to the top or should I take you back to the hotel?"

"I'm fine," she smiled lazily.

'Such a cute drunk,' I thought to myself.

We boarded the elevator and rode our way up to the top level to look over the city. There were a few couples from the restaurant scattered around the top floor as we stepped out, but most of them were departing. Bella grew quiet at my side and I worried that she was going to be sick from the height.

"Wow," she gasped as she let go of me and walked to the window overlooking the Champ de Mars, "this is so gorgeous."

I followed behind her silently as she walked to parameter of the platform, taking in the views from each angle. I had seen these views before as a child and in recent years as my father had taken many trips to Europe for business and pleasure. I noticed after a few minutes of walking that the platform had grown empty, leaving Bella and me alone. I glanced at my watch to find that it was drawing near one in the morning.

"Bella," I called in a low voice as not to scare her, placing my hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

As she turned I could see the tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I asked with growing concern.

"It's all so beautiful," she whimpered, "The tower, the restaurant and the view… and I forgot my camera!" the last few words sending the tears over their breaking point.

I chuckled at her random pouting and wrapped my arm around her shoulder for whatever kind of comfort it might bring her. She turned herself into me, fitting her warm body into my embrace and wrapping her arms around me for support. I inhaled sharply as she laid her head on my chest and silently curbed her sobbing. The only thing I knew to do was wrap my arms around her…

**BPOV**

* * *

Despite the pea coat he wore, his body was cool as I pressed up against it. I could smell the scent of his skin and his cologne through his shirt. I could feel his chest rise and fall as he took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling the night air. I felt his arms wrap around my shoulders to comfort me as I finished up my pouting. The entire experience was almost too much to bear, his body fit to mine like two pieces of a puzzle and I was reveling in it for as long as I could. I didn't know what emotions were going through his mind, but to me something about this moment seemed perfect.

He gently placed his hand on my arms and pushed me away from his upper body so he could see my face. I met his emerald eyes, filled with concern and curiosity. I rubbed my cheeks to clean the tears from my skin.

"That was just a bit of over reaction," I stated plainly then laughing at myself.

"It's no big deal," he smirked, "Let's get you back to the hotel."

I took his arm automatically and we made our way back down to the ground in the elevator. The ride from the Eiffel Tower back to the hotel was quiet as neither he nor I spoke except when he was directing the taxi. As the cab arrived back at the hotel, Edward came to open my door for me after paying the driver.

"Oh," he exclaimed, "I thought you were asleep, you were so quiet."

I covered a small yawn, "No, but I'm getting there."

We walked through the lobby and boarded the elevator to my floor.

"This night is full of elevator rides," I giggled, breaking the silence.

I heard him chuckle as we started to move upward. I thought back to the energy that was in this same space earlier tonight and wondered if it would return. The elevator or Edward didn't give me that option as the chime came all too quickly as we reached my floor. I began to fish out my room key as we walked down the hall to my room. The silence between us had returned and I was sure that I had ruined the night with my antics at the tower. I started to curse myself inwardly when we finally reached my room. I slid the key into the door handle and heard the lock disengage and beep. After pushing open the door, I stood in the doorway, staring at the red carpet in the hallway.

"Listen," I started, "I'm sorry about earlier and thank you for the date." I started to bite my lip waiting for his answer.

His long fingers brought my chin up so that my eyes met his magnificent jeweled eyes. They were intent on my face, watching for any emotion and studying each part, from my eyes to my nose and finally resting on my lips. The same crooked smile that he donned in the elevator spread across his face as he stared back at me now. I could feel the energy lick up my body and seem to arch between us as we stood in the doorway in silence. The room grew hotter behind me and my bottom lip fell slack.

"Don't be sorry," he whispered tenderly and pressed his cool lips to mine.

The fever I had burst into a full on inferno as I melted into his kiss. I wrapped my arms around his back as he pulled me closer with his arms. Crushed against his body I was breathless, clinging to him for all of my support as he leaned into me. I stumbled backwards after a few minutes and dropped my purse to the floor. He didn't need an invitation to come in as he followed me in and caught me before I fell out of his grasp. I heard the door click shut and the room went black before I felt him searching for my lips again in the darkness. He bowed me backwards over his arm as he kissed my jaw line up to my earlobe. I could hear him panting as his cool breath whistled past my ear and into my hair. I felt a tug on the top of my head as he pulled the ribbon from my hair free to fall down my back.

"You really shouldn't wear your hair up," he whispered in my ear, diving his hands into the masses of curls, "such a waste to hide all of it in a ponytail."

He didn't let me respond as he captured my lips again, and shuffled the two of us to the bed. I grabbed at his coat and nearly ripped it from his shoulders trying to get the fabric off fast enough. He was much gentler with my jacket, unbuttoning each button in a slow fashion before tossing it to the floor. We collapsed to the bed in a tangle of lips, arms and legs as the feathers exploded into the air around us.

* * *

**A/N: UNF!**

**If you happen to speak fluent Italian, please message me. I'm going to need a translator in a few days. :)  
**

**If you could have Edward speak to you in any language, what would it be?  
**


	9. Chapter 9: Stars In Your Eyes

**A/N: Wrote this to give you a bonus for the week. Hopefully it helps you get through the weekend. :)**

**Big Love to my betas isnoggedmalfoy & druscilla831.**

**BIG FAT OBVIOUS WARNING: This chapter is where we are tossing the PG-13 content and hitting on the Mature. So don't be naughty and read it if you're not supposed to. :/**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything... not even the bed they are making out on.

* * *

**

**EPOV

* * *

**

I couldn't help but to stare at her, standing there in the doorway apologizing for being a silly drunk. She was biting her bottom lip and her nerves from earlier in the night began to return. I wanted to take my thumb and drag that pouty pink flesh out of her teeth's clutches to kiss it softly then nibble on it with my own. She was magnificent, just like she was in London, and her shyness only drew me in further. In that moment I thought the entire hotel could burn down around us and I wouldn't move unless she did. I watched as she pressed harder with her front teeth then realized she was waiting for me to either accept on deny her apology.

I said the only thing I could think to say. I didn't want her to be sorry for anything; I wanted her to be herself. I wanted her to want me just like I was wanting her in this moment.

"Don't be sorry," I all but purred and leaned in to press my lips to hers.

I felt her body untense and her hands snake around the back of my neck. Her palms were moist, I assumed from the nerves that plagued her. I wrapped my arms around the small of her back, fitting her body against mine and pressing my mouth harder into hers. I grabbed her bottom lip with my teeth and smiled to myself as I dragged the tender flesh into my mouth, gently sucking and nibbling before releasing it again.

Bella began to stumble backwards, leaving me to hold all of her weight, which wasn't much but still threw me off balance. I heard a thud hit the floor but caught her tiny waist before she fell to the carpet. I heard her gasp in surprise as I lifted her back to a semi vertical position and hooked my foot on the room's door and pushed it shut. She'd already invited me in once, and I doubted very much that she would mind giving the hungry look in her glossy eyes. I knew she was still feeling the wine from earlier, I could see it plainly before the room was encased in darkness. I couldn't help myself despite this fact; she was too tempting not to indulge in.

My hands found the belt loops on her jeans; the tight dark denim that clung to her thin legs and full hips like a second skin. I could see my eyes adjusting to the darkness as I roped my right arm around her waist and bent her backwards to expose her slender, delicate neck. The pale skin glowed in the soft moonlight filtering into the window. I started with my tongue on her collar bone, reveling in the sweet taste of her skin and the aroma of flowers that lingered there, and then continued pressing my lips to her neck. I gently grazed my teeth over the skin under her ear, panting like I'd run a marathon as I smelled the scent of her strawberry shampoo. My right arm helped to straighten out her back some before I put both hands to work.

The delicate ribbon that held her hair on top of her head didn't put up much protest as I tugged on the tail of the bow. The soft curls cascaded over my eager finger tips, their silken texture taunting me to slide my hands through them for hours.

"You really shouldn't wear your hair up," I told her breathlessly in her ear and laced my hands deep into the brown masses falling around her shoulders, "such a waste to hide it all in a ponytail."

I latched onto her lips again, using my hands that were in her hair to push her mouth into mine. She didn't seem to mind, returning my kisses with just as much passion and fervor. I knew the bed was in the vicinity of where we were standing, so I began to gently push her with my body weight towards the pillowy edge.

Something in her brain snapped as her calves hit the bed frame, her breathing becoming more labored and her kisses more frantic. Bella's fingers traced up the fabric of my coat until she found the lapels and grabbed angry handfuls of the material. She tugged and damn near ripped the coat from my body as I held my arms down to assist her. I heard the coat hit the floor as I gently unbuttoned each button on her tiny jacket and removing it from her trembling frame.

I took a moment to look at her face there in the soft glow of the moonlight. Her wide chocolate eyes looked like deep pools of ebony, glittering and staring at me from under her ridiculously long lashes. Her lips were even poutier from our frantic kisses and I imagined were red from the pressure I'd applied to them. Her chest was rising and falling, trying to catch any bits of breath she could. I watched a tendril of hair fall in front of her eyes and her tongue dart out to lick her lips as her eyes boring into mine. I lost it; there was no way I was coming up for air after that look.

I growled and lightly pushed her to the mattress, watching a cloud of white explode around her. I didn't really care what the stuff was, seeing her hair splayed across the comforter, creating some sort of dark halo was making my drunken hormones sing. I climbed on the bed, throwing my legs on either side of her tiny body and bracing myself with my left arm. She arched her back up to allow my right arm access under her, pulling her closer I dropped soft kisses on her lips and jaw line. Her arms came up to pull on my shirt, my arms, and my hair, anything she could get her hands on. As I ran my tongue down the other side of her neck, I heard her breath hitch as I pulled a small amount of her skin into my mouth and nibbled and sucked it gently.

My legs and arm began to shake from holding my weight up over this fragile girl, worshiping her and her flowery skin. I was afraid to fall on her, and not just from the fact I'd probably crush the breath from her lungs. I could feel the effects of all of this lust hanging in my pants, throbbing to get some attention. Bella placed her hands on either side of my face and kissed my cheeks and lightly on my lips, pleading for my attention as I silently contemplated how to proceed.

The only thing holding me back was the warning chiming in my head.

_Be careful with her Edward, she's different._

**BPOV

* * *

**

Edward was frozen above me, hovering like an angel but donning an odd look on his face. My body was warm all over but cooling quickly as he hovered over me staring at the headboard. Had I done something wrong? I tried to think back in the minutes prior to him stopping but it was all a bit hazy. I was sure that the wine from dinner had contributed to this lack of memory.

Desperate to feel his mouth on me again, I dragged my long fingers across his cheeks, feeling the small bits of stubble starting to grow in even though I was positive he was clean shaven only hours ago. I pulled my lips to kiss his face all over, delicately placing them where my fingers had been. He still hovered there motionless; the only movement in his entire body was the trembling in his arm and legs. I poked his chest after a solid minute of waiting, which grabbed his attention long enough for him to look down at me and sigh with furrowed brows.

The little bit of weight he had on my body left abruptly and I was immediately chilled by the absence of body heat between us. I knew I had blown it, but not sure how. What did I do that was so horrible that he'd break out of kissing me so passionately? I was afraid to turn to see where he was, so I kept my head still and stared at the ceiling.

A piece of fluff tickled my forehead, but I didn't bother to move to remove it. I felt cool fingertips brush my skin lightly and the feeling of Edward's breath caress my cheek as he plucked the intruding feather from its location and tossed it aside. Part of me was thrilled that he was still here on the bed with me, but the other overwhelming large part of me was bitter that we had stopped making out. I finally turned my head in the direction his hand had come from, meeting his lazy drunken gaze. He wasn't smiling, just staring at my face much like he did at the headboard. I felt him grab a curl and paw it like a cat with its favorite toy, hoping that eventually he would break the silence. I heard him sigh just before I got my wish.

"I'm sorry," he said before rolling his face into his arm that was tucked under his head.

"For what?" I asked, confused that he was the one apologizing, "If anyone should be apologizing it should be me." For my lack of experience, I tacked on mentally.

"I just… I got carried away," he stammered out, "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

I sat up and pulled my legs under me. "Are you serious?" I all but choked out, "You've _got_ to be kidding!"

The look on his face was pure confusion as I shook my head back and forth with my palms covering my face. I felt my hair swinging around as I did so. When I pulled my hands back into my lap I threw my head back and laughed; I couldn't help it given the situation I was in. Fate really was a bitch I suppose to throw me this monkey wrench. I went all through high school loathing boys that wanted to date me and now, in the last week it seemed, I had shared not one, but two passionate kisses with two different guys. One I could not be with because he was a friend and the other didn't want me for some unknown reason.

"I'd love to be in on the joke," Edward voiced in a tone of boredom.

"I just don't get what I did." I pointed out as my chuckles died, "I thought you were supposed to kiss someone back when you were making out with them." I was inexperienced but not stupid.

The look of confusion turned into laughter of his own as he shut his eyes and howled with it. He raised and placed a hand on mine in my lap as he laughed until I could only imagine tears were brimming his eyes. I stared at him blankly. Now I wanted in on the joke.

"Bella, you did nothing wrong," he smiled at me.

Well that was great to know…

"So what's the problem then?" I asked quietly.

"There is no problem, at least not from your end."

My nerves started to drum up again, and my mind started to ponder what would be the problem from his end. It was awkward, trying to imagine all the possibilities and fearing what he might say. Could he not kiss girls for extended periods of time in the dark? Was there someone else? I started biting my lip at the thought of the second scenario. I didn't understand why Alice would set me up with her brother if he had a girlfriend, or maybe this was just a quick vacation fling for him…

I felt Edward's hand come up under my chin as he lifted my eyes up to meet his. His thumb stretched lightly over my bottom lip that I was chewing raw and started to slide it from under my teeth. The electricity from his touch started to warm my face in the silent moment. I darted my tongue out and licked the tip of his thumb before wrapping my lips around it and drawing it into my mouth. I had seen it in a movie once and watched his face go from amused back to the smoldering look he had just a few minutes ago.

**EPOV

* * *

**

One minute she was the nervous shy girl that thought she'd done something wrong and the next she was the craftiest vixen I'd ever known. I wanted to ponder where she got her skills, but my mind shied away from that. I had placed my thumb on her lip to keep her from chewing off her lip completely, sliding it out from under her teeth in the most gentle way possible. What I didn't expect was her next move…

This girl was good, and judging by the sultry look in her eyes, she knew it.

I listened intently to the sound of her mouth gently pulling on my thumb and tried to push back the images in my head. Flashes of her between my thighs, her head gently bobbing and the soft sucking noise coming from those fabulous lips. I shook my head slowly as she slid the appendage out of her mouth, kissing the pad of my thumb before cupping my wrist and kissing my palm. I groaned with a mixture of frustration and pleasure, and the throbbing against my leg started up again. I breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm myself down. I wanted to stop her before this went too far; this was the first time we'd been out together and to walk away with more than a good night kiss was more than enough on her part already. I really hadn't been expecting all of this, but there was a devious part of my brain, a part I was trying to beat back with common sense, that was telling me to go for it and take the plunge.

I rolled over onto my back as I felt her nails graze my forearm as she continued to tease me through my hand. Her tongue was tracing lazy patterns around my index finger just before she dragged her teeth across the surface of the skin. I moaned and rolled my eyes back into my head, she had no idea how sensitive my hands were. The mattress began to shift next to me as she moved to get comfortable. I didn't open my eyes and she didn't let go of my hand. Her thin fingers intertwined with mine as the bed shifted and creaked.

I felt the pressure on my waist before I could whip my head up to see what she was doing. Bella's left hand was laced with my right, and about to put all of her perfect ass right on my erection. Her demin clad legs were bent, knees supporting her, straddling my lap. She was looking right at my face with her lips slightly parted as she breathed through her mouth. I didn't have enough time to catch her hips before she planted herself on me softly. Instead of throwing her off of me, I rose up my left leg, bumping her ass forward and threw her forward onto my chest. It took the pressure off of my hard on but had her hovering above me in some sort of switched roles position from what we had earlier.

She smiled down at me innocently; like she didn't know what she was doing to me, her hair filled with feathers cascading around our faces like a dark curtain. She still glowed, looking like an angel even though I knew she wasn't as innocent as she was trying to pull off. Bella, dark angel and vixen all wrapped up in one delectable package. The throbbing against my leg agreed, wholeheartedly.

I watched her face come closer to mine and her eye lids flutter down, and I was powerless to stop it, lying there like a total sap waiting for her wet, puckering mouth to meet mine. The contact was slow and teasing, starting with a delicate touch and small nibbles on my bottom lip. I reached my left hand to cup the back of her head and felt her drop her left hand from mine and slowly lower her body to mine. I felt like she was a piece of candy on a hot summer sidewalk, melting into my body with the heat that existed between us. She moved so her legs were tucked in between mine, her hips lying against mine and her chest rising and falling on top of me. There was no doubt in my mind she could feel my erection by now, so I just laid there motionless. That was until she did the one thing that could tip me over the edge.

She pulled her hair to one side and slid up my body, rubbing every part of her against every part of me in the process. As if I needed the reminder she was there I thought. Her tiny mouth was at my shirts collar, and a few fingers followed her mouth's lead; kissing, licking and tickling her way up my neck and my jaw. I was fine until I heard her little quiet breathes in my ear, and then I froze like a marble statue inside. Her last kiss was at the tender skin under my ear, just before she took a quick inhale and licked the bottom of my earlobe. Her tender nibbles came soon after and were finished off with a gentle sucking.

In one fluid motion, I grabbed her wrists and flipped her over, pressing my body long and hard into hers on the mattress. I held her wrists above her head and stared into her shocked face with an intensity that even surprised me.

"I think you're asking for more than you can handle Bella," I snarled in a voice layered thick with passion.

'Oh!' was all she could muster out of her perfect lips. I loosened my grip on her wrists, eased myself off of her shivering body and swung my feet over the edge of the bed. I felt bad about being so aggressive about having to stop, but she really didn't know what she was getting herself into, especially after just a few hours of talking. Or maybe she did? Maybe she wasn't as different as I thought; maybe she wanted just a one night stand after all.

I turned to look over my shoulder at her shivering form. She had curled up into a fetal position on her side, shaking like the last leaf on a tree in a stiff breeze.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to her quietly as I stood and headed for the door. I turned and looked at her as the hall light shone on her face. The mascara was running onto the comforter under her cheek and my chest started to ache.

I'll have to send Alice to do damage control in the morning I thought to myself as I pulled the door shut with a click that sounded more final than it should have.

**BPOV

* * *

**

I heard the door click closed and the light behind my eye lids disappeared. The sobs that I had been holding in came out like the first wave of an army, attacking my senses and numbing my body out one section at a time. I laid there thinking about the entire night from beginning to end and hit rewind on my memories what seemed like a million times, trying to pick out exactly where I crossed the line with Edward. My head started to ache but tears finally ran dry after awhile and I slipped into a dream filled sleep.

****

The light from the doorway was blinding as it hit my drowsy eyes. I raised my hand to shield them from the glare and to see who was coming into my room at this hour of the night. The scent of honey and lilacs filled my nostrils and my worry ebbed into relief; Edward had come back into my room. I sat up to see his face after he shut the door behind him, but my eyes weren't adjusted to the sudden darkness. The entire room was black, not even a hint of moonlight coming through the curtains like it was earlier. Maybe it was about to rain again? Usually the nights were this dark in Forks since the moon hid behind the clouds.

I felt a shock on my right leg which turned into a gentle stroking on my calf. I looked down to my legs to see the faint outline of Edward's hand, relieved that my eyes seemed to adjust to the darkness. But I couldn't see anything else, just the point in which his hand met my leg, making back and forth paces, gradually going higher. I was fixated on his hand, unable to speak as it reminded me of a pendulum. Eventually his hand reached my center, casually stroking the demin material covering me there. I gasped audibly even though it was a touch through 2 pieces of fabric; it was still hot as hell. He stopped running his hand down my legs after I made a noise and concentrated on working me through the jeans. The pressure he applied varied from a light touch to pressing hard near my entrance. I had no clue what his motive was, but I didn't want him to stop.

His other hand slipped free my ballet flats and I heard them hit the carpet as he tossed them. The hand that was working my core slowed and slid up to the button that was in place above the zipper fly. I whimpered softly at the loss of pressure, but was silenced with finger to my lips. I dared to stick out my tongue and lap at the warm piece of flesh on my lips. When he didn't move it away, I greedily clutched his wrist with both hands and pulled his index finger into my mouth. The button and zipper fly on my jeans was unfastened as I lovingly worshiped his hand near my face. After a few tugs on one side of jeans, I realized he needed help getting the tight denim down my legs. I let go of his wrist and hooked my thumbs in the waistband of my jeans and proceeded to push and wiggle until they were half way down my thighs. Edward's hands took over then and pulled them the rest of the way free.

For a few brief moments there was no contact and I couldn't see a damn thing. I was staring at the blackness in front of me, darting my eyes around looking for some sort of light source or listening for a sound. There was nothing, and then there was everything all at once.

The smooth hands that ran up my legs carried the familiar electricity and sweet boy smell. I sighed in contentment, thankful that he hadn't left me here in this dark room. His hands glided along the outside of my legs like trains moving towards their destination. The long fingers skimmed right past the straps to my thong underwear and laid flat on my hip bones before yanking me from a sitting position to a flat on my back position. My hormones were doing cartwheels when the back of my thighs met the front of his bare legs. He had to be on his knees on the bed, holding my hips and pulling me towards him.

Edward's hands began to move again, this time sliding up the ruffled white shirt that I wore to dinner. It was loose enough that he easily got to my bra without any resistance. I felt his finger tips glide across the silky material before retreating back out of my shirt. They found the three buttons that closed up the neckline and started masterfully undoing the top in the darkness. A cool gentle stroke across my collar bone made my breath hitch, but the hand moved on to grab the shirt. I sat up long enough for him to pull it over my head and toss it into the blackness of my hotel room.

His hands were absent for a few more moments before returning to my half naked form. I lay on the mattress trying to prepare myself for a sensation in one place, but he went for another. I had thought he would finish removing my underwear since that's the area he focused on first, but instead he ran his cool hands on my shoulders, slipping the bra straps down and free from my arms. I was grateful he realized I wore a front clasp bra as his twisted his fingers and had the clasp free in a matter of seconds. The air in the room was cold on my breasts even though I could feel Edward's warmth near me. It was an odd sensation since his body was warm, but his touch was chilled.

A cool touch pressed onto my breasts, cupped both of them like my bra, testing the shape and feel of them. I knew they were soft and buoyant, and apparently Edward grasped that in his assessment as his fingers began to tweak my right nipple as I heard him lick his thumb and index finger of his left hand before tweaking my left nipple. He alternated this licking and tweaking pattern for a few minutes until I was moaning and writhing underneath his body. I kept arching my back towards him in the blackness, begging for his mouth to be anywhere on me. Hell I didn't care if it was just my lips, I _needed _those kisses, but I was denied. The erotic torture continued for what seemed like an eternity until finally I growled in frustration. His hands retreated to my legs, holding one up against his body and stroking the calf again.

The soft brush of hair against the back of my leg told me that Edward was at least without a shirt and without pants. Almost at the moment the curious thought crossed my mind, I felt his hardness brush against my thigh. I gasped in a mixture of shock and in fear; just brushing my leg he felt huge. I was petrified that he might split me in two if he tried to put that anywhere close to all the way inside of me.

My mind was racing ahead as I felt his hands lay my leg gently to the side and finally found the waist band to my thong. Instead of pulling them off once he'd discovered the straps on my hips, he trailed two fingers delicately down my hip bone and dipped in between my legs once more. Without the denim to protect me, my thin mesh-like underwear didn't stand a chance against his cool touch. He grazed the fingers right up my slit, which made me stop breathing for a second or two, then proceeded to take his palm and press it the to the top of my vagina. I was dying there under his touch, gasping and whimpering for him to get on with it already.

Got on with it he did….

The slow and sensual façade began to fade as Edward's more basic instincts kicked in. He grasped both of the string straps of my underwear and ripped them free of their stitching in one swift tug. The front of my thong fell to the mattress, exposing my clean shaven womanhood to him. I heard a deep inhale from where he kneeled on the bed and a rumble that sounded like it came from his chest.

Edward was everywhere at once, occupying every sense that I had. I could smell the cologne he wore, I could hear the noises coming from his mouth and throat as he explored me thoroughly, I saw the tiny sparks as his hand ran over my flesh, I could taste the salt on his skin when he would get close enough for me to kiss him. And I could definitely feel; I felt every little stroke and grab as he tuned up my body like a car he owned.

The final place he explored was the most sensitive out of them all. I started to tremble as his fingers glided towards my vagina. The trails of his cold fingers made me shiver but they were curiously warm afterwards as his hand moved further down my leg. When they finally reached their destination, I squirmed as he placed the pad of his finger right on my clit; it tickled and nearly froze me to the core. I heard him chuckle for the first time in this darkness as he slid his fingers down my labia and stopped at my entrance, circling it slowly and causing me to arch off the bed.

I thought I was going to go nuts with this maddeningly slow teasing, but eventually he pressed one finger into me, slowly moving it in and out as my wetness coated his fingers. I moaned louder as the friction increased, increasing in pace. I thought my body was going to explode when suddenly I felt his finger leave my body. There was a gentle sucking noise, but I couldn't see what he was doing or where his hand disappeared to.

The space between my legs was filled as the sucking noise went away and Edward shuffled his body forward. My body started to shake as I knew what was coming next. I felt like I was ready, letting him guide my trembling legs around his warm body and positioning the head of his penis at my entrance. I gasped as I realized I had underestimated his size, this was going to hurt like hell.

I whimpered and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for him to ease himself into my body, taking my virginity and anything that it had meant with it. He took his time, stroking the head around in my wetness before getting aligned again, in an attempt to give himself lubrication and make me feel easier. I had to admit it felt fantastic having him stroke anything of his down there.

Once he was sure he was in position, I felt his hands come back to my hips, grabbing them in his cool grasp and testing his grip. I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut hard, hoping he would go slowly for me. He did the exact opposite, pulling me down on his dick hard and fast, filling me up and then some.

The blackness behind my eyes filled up with flashing dots as the pain ripped through my body and up my spine. My brain didn't have enough time to get the pain message as Edward began to move in and out of me, filling me up and retreating in a steady pace that suited him. I moaned and whispered his name breathlessly as he took what he needed, pulling my hips back and forth.

I wished he would touch me, kiss me; make this more romantic like I had imagined my first time would be.

His pace quickened suddenly and he was arching my back off the mattress as he pounded into my body. My walls were milking him for all it was worth as I gripped massive handfuls of feathers and comforter. I heard his breathing and groaning get louder and my moans and panting picked up to meet his.

With a final thrust, he slammed into me deep and released as my muscles tensed around him. My body shattered into a million pieces on the covers, the flashing dots behind my eyelids turning into stars as my orgasm overwhelmed me.

My scream of pleasure rang in my ears as I sat up in the hotel bed gasping for air. After the stars faded, I saw the pink color of my eyelids as light bombarded the other side of them. I slowly pried them open, one at a time, surprised that the daylight was flooding my tiny hotel room. How did it get to be day time so soon?

The horror that spread across my face had to be the ugliest emotion I'd ever worn. I realized with complete certainty that I, Bella Swan, was alone in the hotel room. My eyes shot down and glared at my hand, resting gently on my _bare thigh._ I started to sob in complete and utter humiliation. There was no Edward Cullen in my bed, and there wouldn't be, even as I closed my eyes tight and opened them again.

* * *

**A/N: More lemons for your lemonade? I even have umbrellas!**

**Reviews are love and recommending to your friends earns you brownie points. :)  
**


	10. Chapter 10: The Mourning After

**A/N: Thank you lovelies for all of you beautiful/funny/unique reviews! I reading them all!**

**Love goes out to druscilla831 & isnoggedmalfoy for keeping track of my grammar mistakes n such.**

**To answer the question, yes... it was a dream.**

**Head on over to my livejournal and download Let the Fury Rise - An Angry Alice Mix. My gal pals (Bonnie, Rivah & Astrid) on Twitter helped me put it together for a particular section of this chapter. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this nonsense... well the writing part yes... but not Edward's kisses. :(**

* * *

**EPOV**

* * *

I felt like such a douche bag walking back into my room and shutting the door behind me. I laid my back against the cold door letting my emotions seep out into the air around me; I was torn. On one hand I was angry with myself. My entire intention for the night was to get to know Bella better, and aside from the few things I had learned about her at the restaurant, I was still just as clueless about her as I was in London. Something kept telling me that there was more to her than just her looks but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was like an itch in the middle of your back you just can't reach, constantly nagging you until it drives you crazy. On the other hand, I was full of regret. Bella was so beautiful, lying on the mattress with her hair splayed out around her, glossy eyes glittering up at me, puckering her lips begging for more kisses. I grabbed my head in anguish and frustration as I dug my fingers into my skull. The image was threatening to burn itself into my memory forever. I wanted more memories like that, only without so many articles of clothing. In the war between my head and my heart, no… more like my head and my penis: Neither was winning. Each time I thought of something I would have done differently to right the situation, another thought swooped in to knock it out of the way. It was exhausting, mentally and physically.

I dragged my feet as I finally made my way to bed, releasing the vice grip on my head finger by finger. I kicked off my shoes and tore off my shirt in a hurry to collapse to the bed. As the soft fabric passed over my head, I smelled the perfume that lingered on the threads. It was a sweet flowery concoction, under laced with a slight cotton candy fragrance. My nose twitched as I analyzed the scent, begging me to dive straight into the shirt and inhale deeply. I refrained and tossed the material to the floor; smelling her on my clothes only made the battle rage on further. I unbuckled my belt and slid my pants to the floor before throwing back the comforter and climbing into the bed. I eyeballed the Indiglo clock I'd packed from home; 3:55 am.

I rolled over onto my side and faced the window, closing my eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. The group was supposed to go on another guided tour later today, but I wasn't sure of the time. Alice would probably wake me up early as always to approve my outfit for the day's events. I groaned as I thought about Alice going to Bella's room in the morning, thinking I'd stayed there with her for the night only to find I wasn't there at all. The thoughts brought back the images of Bella lying on her feather covered bed, mascara staining her face as the tears slid down into the comforter. A beautiful face; marred by the emotions of pain and hurt and the streaks of black that were left as evidence. My chest began to ache fiercely as I rolled to my back and raked my hands raggedly through my hair in frustration. They were emotions that I had put there. Me, a total asshole that could now make girls I barely knew cry.

The war inside turned to thoughts about going back to her room to comfort her. My head was telling me that I probably should, considering how 'I'm sorry' was a piss poor farewell and apology. I started saying all of the things I could tell her to bring her tears to an end out loud but nothing was coming out right.

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk," I explained to the darkness, "I just think this is moving to fast." _Great, now I'm talking to myself over this bullshit._

My dick had other plans however, coming back to attention at just the thought of comforting her in its own way. Mental images of Bella's legs spread wide with me pounding into her, lapping up her sweet delicious kisses. My common sense was growling at the notion, spitting back all of the ways that it wasn't right and wouldn't fix a thing.

There was no way I was sleeping anytime soon so I resolved to shower and at least relieve the frustration that was plaguing one half of my mind and body. I threw the covers back again and put my feet on the floor. The blue of the clock face was screaming at me in the darkness, 5:35 am. Had I really been laying in the bed thinking about this for over an hour?

I huffed and yanked my Calvin Klein's to the floor as I stood, tossing them into the pile of clothes accumulating on the floor. It felt like I was dragging my body to the bathroom door; my body was exhausted but my mind was already a hundred paces ahead, still battling it out. I knocked on the door to make sure I wasn't barging in on Alice, listening for any sounds of her on the other side of the door. When no one answered me I opened the door and flipped the light switch, burning my retinas with the contrast from my dark room to the bright lighting. After a few minutes of squinting and wiping the moisture from my eyes I turned on the water in the shower.

The tiny little stall shower they put in this miniscule space was a poor excuse for a bathroom. The stall was backed up in a corner with the toilet almost in the shower wall. The vanity held only one sink, which at the moment was covered with all of Alice's makeup and hair contraptions. There wasn't even enough room for my cologne, deodorant, hair gel or toothbrush; not one speck of the counter top was visible. I chuckled at picturing Alice cursing the small space like I did now. We were used to far more opulent spaces.

I opened the stall door and stepped under the spray of water, tensing up since it was still cold. My hormones cooled down with the water as well and I was briefly relieved, I might actually get to sleep for a little while. As I closed my eyes and pressed my hands to the glass in front of me, I let the water spray into my hair and roll down my back and across my shoulders. I felt the water temperature rise as I stood there in silence, letting the water wash away the tension and massage my scalp with its pressure. I palmed the travel soap container I'd thrown in the holder earlier and grabbed the bar from the plastic case. The heat of the water beating into my chest was soothing as I lathered the soap and started to wash, filling up the tiny stall with the fragrance of honey and lilacs.

I started with my arms, sliding the bar across the muscles from shoulder to finger tip before bringing the bar back up and washing under my arms and across my chest. My pace was slow since I was trying to relax and enjoy the heat. My mind had gotten pretty quiet since I had made it to the bathroom and I sighed aloud as I continued to wash each pectoral. After washing my stomach, I rubbed the soap bar gently between my hands to gain a good lather before dropping the soap back into the container. I began to wash the juncture where my legs met my hips when the memory jolted itself back into my mind.

I groaned loudly and pressed my forehead to the glass wall as the image planted itself and spread like wildfire. Bella's beautiful brown curls, cascading down her back as she rested on her knees in front of me; chocolate eyes looking up into mine as she took me into her pouty rose colored lips. The wetness of her mouth in my fantasy was extraordinary; making little sounds as she gently sucked me in. My hand slid around my shaft at the pace I imagined her head bobbing as the water fell down my back, filling the cramped space with heat. I sucked in greedy pulls of air, filling my lungs with the thick steam as the pace quickened and the soap gave just the right amount of lubrication. I felt my climax building as I slammed my eyes shut and cupped my balls, envisioning Bella's tiny hand as my own massaging them lightly.

"Fuuuck me," I moaned to the illusion in my mind as I exploded under the spray.

"Sounds like you're doing a pretty good job all by yourself there champ," Alice laughed darkly on the other side of the shower door.

I froze in shock as I realized what she caught me doing; my panting was the only noise until she spoke again.

"Be serious Edward," she chuckled, "Did you really think I didn't know what you were doing? I could hear you moaning and groaning through my wall!" She started imitating my noise rather obnoxiously as I seethed behind the frosted glass doors.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and grab me a towel?" I snapped at her.

"No need to get so harsh with me brother. I won't tolerate it," I could see the dark blob on the other side crossing her arms in a pout.

"Fine," I sighed, "Can you please hand me a towel?"

"Say you're sorry…"

"I'm _sorry_ Alice," I confessed. Sometimes it was just better to let her have her way.

"You're in a rather foul mood," she pointed out as she tossed the towel over the top of the stall, "I dressed her up so you'd be happy."

I finished washing off and cut the water off before grabbing the fluffy towel to dry off. Wrapping it around my waist, I opened the door and cut my eyes at her sharply and gave her a smile.

"Well not everyone has four foot midgets barging in on their shower routine at five thirty in the morning," I laughed, walking to the vanity.

"Actually its six thirty Edward," she huffed and crossed her arms again, "A perfectly acceptable time for me to be awake and getting ready for the day."

I watched her stick her little nose in the air in a snobby gesture as I washed my face in the little sink. As I cut the faucet off, I knocked a small lipstick tube into the wet sink basin which made her pissed off.

"Why don't you watch what your doing?!" she squealed, making my ears ring.

"Its lipstick Alice," I retorted, "you'll get over it or get a new one," I added and walked back into my room.

I was grateful she didn't follow me as my annoyance with her began to build. She'd never violated my privacy like that before, and I seriously doubted that it was because she wanted to get ready for the day like she claimed. I saw the sunlight brightening up my window as it began to rise over this city skyline and I cursed internally. The time for sleeping had passed; it was time to start a new day.

I rummaged through my bag, pulling out all of the necessary items for the day. Sliding a fresh pair of Calvin Klein's over my hips, I started getting dressed. Dark jeans and a black shirt were suitable to my mood and comfortable enough I wouldn't be miserable walking around Paris. I rubbed my eyes wearily, trying to wake up enough that I could function. Getting through this tour was going to require coffee, stat.

The door from the bathroom opened as I pulled my shirt over my head and raked a hand through my wet hair. Alice stood there glaring at me, arms crossed in her fluffy pink bathrobe that made her look like a twisted poodle. I usually laughed at her post shower attire, but the look on her face read 'all business.' I didn't miss the fact that she unconsciously eyed my attire in disgust.

"So what _is_ your problem Edward?" she asked in a pissy tone, "Did you not have a 'good time'?" she held up her fingers to accent the words.

"Really Alice, is your mission to be annoying as hell this morning? You're doing a fine job of it, really."

She stomped her foot into the floor and threw her hands up in the air at me.

"You started it!" she wailed, "I can't help it that you can't even _thank me_ for setting you two up. Unless…" she trailed off for a second and narrowed her eyes at me, "Unless of course you managed to royally screw it all up, which I don't know how that's even possible. I did damn near everything for you."

I rolled my eyes at her ranting then looked to the floor in guilt. I heard her gasp in shock as she read the emotion on my face and I lifted my eyes back up to look at her. The color of red she was turning was that of pure fury and it shone in her eyes, raw and unfiltered.

"What…did… you… do?" she spat out at me through clenched teeth.

"None of your business," I growled.

"You're wrong," she seethed, eyes flashing bright green with anger as she pointed at me, "It becomes my business when she has my clothes, when I've invested _hours _into dolling her up for you. When I take the time out of my day to help you… _THAT'S_ when it becomes my business."

"Calm down Alice, I don't want to talk about it," I'd never seen her this angry…

"Calm down?" she laughed darkly, "You want me to calm down? I think it would be in your best interest if you tell me what the hell is going on," she challenged me.

I sighed and explained the night I had shared in Bella's company because quite frankly, I didn't want Alice to punch me. Even play fighting with her hurt at home, so I could only imagine the pain she could inflict with her rage going at full speed. I watched as her emotions cooled at the beginning of my explanation then switched to shock and finally back to anger. As I explained how I left Bella there crying, my chest started to ache again, longing to go comfort her but knowing I didn't have the right words to say. That was if she was even willing to listen to my pathetic excuses.

"Oh you've totally fucked this up Edward," she threw her dagger eyes at me. Hearing her curse was surprising, but I kept looking at the floor.

"Don't you think I know that?"

"Well, I can tell you I'm not going to be the one to fix this," she paused, "Even if she does have my clothes, this is the bed you've made, now you have to lay in it."

"I was afraid you'd say that," I grumbled.

"You really think I'd do the dirty work for you Edward?" she crossed her arms and tapped her foot waiting for me to answer, "You _left _her there thinking she was unwanted. I'm pretty sure she's thinking something is wrong with herself right now."

"I only did it to protect her!" I shouted.

"Protect her from what?! She was giving you consent you moron, are you that blind?"

"She was drunk Alice."

She huffed, which usually meant I caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly.

"Well you still didn't have to leave her like that Edward, anything but leaving her alone," she got quiet on the last part of the sentence, her eyes falling to the floor.

"I know."

It was all I could say, I'd run out of excuses as to why I was so stupid in that moment.

**BPOV**

* * *

I had come to the conclusion that I could not be completely sad or completely angry. Instead, I was walking the fine line in between the two for the majority of the morning. Angela had barged into my room when she heard me crying, fearing that the worst had become of me. I could see the confusion turn to worry as she crossed the small space to comfort me. The best part about having her as a friend is that she didn't pry when my emotions were this rampant; even though the instances were few and far between.

As I sat on her hotel bed in silence, I was now completely blank staring out of her window. Angela sat behind me with a comb, picking the down feathers from my hair like a mother pulling gum out with peanut butter. I heard her quiet breathing and occasionally a little huff of frustration when she reached a feather she couldn't get out easily. The lack of questions was easing my pride some, though it was already bad enough that she had to see me covering myself with jeans this morning. I winced as I remembered the memory.

"Did I pull to hard? I'm sorry," she apologized.

I didn't respond, too embarrassed to voice my real reason for the pain. I let the tears stream down my cheeks silently as I continued to stare at the light outside. I felt broken emotionally, to a point where the line I'd been walking was blurred. More emotions started to filter into the scenario as I contemplated the events of the night before. I decided it was best to separate them one by one.

Embarrassment was heading up this rollercoaster, mainly because now someone else knew something went wrong on my date last night. I felt like the whole situation would have been easier had Angela never come into my room; I could have at least played it off like the date went well and he went back to his hotel room when we returned to the hotel. But now someone else knew things were not good and well, which made me wonder what her impression of me really was at this point with men. Did she think that something was wrong with me that he would leave me in such a tragic state? I was also embarrassed by the dream, which I could remember with shocking detail. The fact that I was dreaming about Edward after one date was quite childish to begin with. But to have touched myself in my sleep over it; I was mortified, the concept was inconceivable.

I was also feeling hurt, and this emotion dug deep into my chest, pushing a barb into my heart. Much like the point where Edward told me we should stop, I couldn't fathom why he wanted to. We were both very much into the moment, sharing kisses and passion in the tiny space. I could _feel_ it; the current was everywhere around us. When he decided to cut that current off, I was stunned briefly before the rejection slapped me in the face. I felt like I wasn't good enough; not up to the standards of women that Edward may have put in place for himself. The emptiness of my room as he withdrew emotionally right before my eyes overwhelmed me, and the tears started falling before I even hear the door click shut with his departure. I was alone and the feeling burned like hell. It made me cry in the darkness and it was making me cry now.

The disbelief was also causing some of the hurt. I was shocked that I was falling for someone that I barely knew. Granted I knew more about his family from our conversation last night at dinner, but that was the extent of it. His personality, his likes and dislikes, everything virtually was a mystery that I'd yet to solve, yet I was completely fascinated with him. My behavior last night also had me stunned, considering my experience with boys. I knew that I just went along with the feelings as they came flowing last night. I'd given myself over to the moment and let Edward guide me where he wanted. It almost felt like weightlessness, a pure feeling of adoration that was being given and I could return to him. I had even taken my own initiative when he protested; trying to show him I wanted to go further.

Angela's soft voice cut into my thoughts.

"All done," she smiled and hopped off the bed to push the feather pile into the trash, "Want to take a shower? I can wait to take mine in a little bit," she asked politely.

I nodded my head and rose to make my way to the bathroom. I didn't miss the look of pity that crossed Angela's face as I passed by her. When I reached the bathroom, I shut and locked the door quietly from the inside before looking into the vanity mirror.

The light traces of mascara clung to my pores even though I had wiped my face clean with my hands earlier in the morning. My hair hung smooth to my waist, brushed and clean of the chicken coop that had been nested there prior to Angela's hard work. I had changed out of Alice's clothes after Angela found me in my room, opting for a cami and pajama pants for comfort, but nothing was comforting me in this mood.

I turned on the shower and waited as the water began to heat up. When I could see the steam fogging up the small shower stall, I undressed quickly before opening the door and stepping under the hot spray. Closing my eyes as I lathered up the soap and ran it across my skin, I pretended like I was washing away the memory of the night before. Letting go of each psychoanalyzed emotion, one by one I let them slip down the drain as I tried to pretend like I didn't care. The embarrassment of it all washed away first, which fell into disbelief. Disbelief I conquered pretty quickly, resolving that I was almost an adult and was allowed to have feelings for whoever I wanted. Once the disbelief faded, I was left with hurt, which was the most difficult to take. I sobbed quietly in an attempt to squeeze out the last of my anguish over this whole situation. It helped ease the pain in my chest some but it was something I couldn't fully release like the others.

I finished my shower and dried off when the last emotion slowly built up inside of me: Anger. It was there in the far reaches of my subconscious, and even though I thought I had washed the others away, I realized that they had retreated into another emotion. I was angry at myself for falling for a stranger, I was angry that Edward left me to feel hurt with no explanation what so ever. Even worse, I was angry at my actions. I knew full and well what I was doing last night and I still continued, letting my heart take over what my head should have been telling me not to do.

With the growing storm in my mind, I decided that I wasn't going to take it out on anyone but myself. It was my careless actions that got me in this position, so I would suffer alone, as long as it took to get over this mess. I couldn't bring myself to plague Angela or any of my other friends with the whole story or the reasons for my anger. It would be too childish or misunderstood in their eyes.

I thought about how I was going to get Alice her clothes back and cringed at the thought of seeing Edward again. I wasn't sure how this whole internal anger thing would play out if I saw him again so soon. With fear that I may lash out, the best possible course of action was just to wait for Alice to come to me. With the excitement she displayed last night while she was helping me get ready, she'd no doubted wanted to hear from me if she didn't talk to Edward first. I started pondering what he would say but changed thoughts quickly as I figured the conversation wouldn't be good. I at least knew she'd want her expensive clothes back at the bare minimum.

I wrapped the towel around myself and my new resolve and stepped back into Angela's room to get dressed. I gave her a small smile when she looked up from her book.

"Feeling better," she quirked her eyebrow.

"Most definitely," I replied putting on my best front possible in a huge grin.

**EPOV**

* * *

I could still feel Alice's anger saturating the air in my room, even after she had stormed off to finish getting ready. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head of the argument but I failed miserably. It only made the situation worse the more that I thought about it. We had never had a fight of that magnitude before, especially over a girl. Then again, I'd never treated a girl like I had Bella; getting her to completely submit to me and then leaving her there to cry while my moral compass went ape shit.

My self loathing was doubling by the minute and I was growing ill at the thought of what I'd done. I didn't regret taking her on a date because I at least had one shred of a gentlemanly gesture in the action. Kissing her at the door wasn't bad either, _most_ dates ended with a goodnight kiss. I winced as I remembered the events that followed that initial kiss and grabbed my hair at the scalp once more. Something about her was so… innocent and pure. I felt like had I have taken her there in her hotel room would have cheapened the act. Was it so wrong of me to abstain?

Alice was making me apologize to Bella myself as well as retrieve her clothes. She pointed out that even if Bella wanted to slap me for being such a jerk that the girl was entitled to. I kept trying to play the scenario over in my head as I sat on my bed. I could picture me going to her hotel door, with flowers if Alice got her way, and knocking. The events that followed were one big kaleidoscope, each one with a different ending. I could picture her crying and I could picture her slapping me; the only scenario I couldn't put together was her forgiving me.

I heard a light tap on my door to the hallway, Alice's signal it was time for the tour. I had forgotten that Bella's group would be with ours for the tour and the thought shook me to the core. Would she freak out on me in public; broadcasting to the world all of the things that I'd done wrong? My brain was reeling at the new possibilities, tempting me to tell Alice I wasn't going. The rapping on the door came again with a more frustrated sound resonating through my room. Her clipped voice warned me that I needed to get moving.

"I know you're in there Edward," she called through the door, "Man up and come on before we're late. You're not ruining this day for me too."

I sighed and loped over to the door. This was going to be an interesting day.

**BPOV**

* * *

Angela and I spent the first part of the afternoon packing our clothes and cleaning up the feathers in my room. I was glad she understood that I wanted to wait for Alice to come by and pickup her things instead of hand delivering them. I eyeballed the red pumps on the comforter as I zipped my bag closed. What was I going to say to her?

The rapping on the door snapped me out of my thoughts as my heart thudded in my chest. Angela eyed me wearily and cracked the door, peeping out to see who was there. I saw the door swing open wide to reveal Jessica, Mike, Ben, Tyler and Eric smiling into the room. Relief washed over me and I remembered to plaster on my smile.

"What are you two doing in here?" Jessica questioned, "We're in _Paris_, and you both should be out enjoying it while you can!"

Angela looked to me in hopes that I'd either let her go or decide to go with them. I smiled at her sweetly in response.

"Sure, let me get my jacket," I replied.

I walked over to the coat hooks on the back of Angela's door as she bounced out to the group in the hallway. One of her coats still adorned the rack along with mine. I eyed the grey coat that hung next to mine, its scent calling out to me, begging me to put it on again. I huffed in mock disgust at the scrap of fabric as I plucked my coat from the hook and threw it on before grabbing my purse and shutting the door behind me.

The ache in my heart didn't start up until we were out on the street, heading to the café Alice and I had gone to the day before. I swallowed the heavy lump that was building in my throat as we explored the city together. I wondered how long it would take the feeling to fade, for my brain to forget the memory completely. I prayed that it wasn't long.

****

The sun was setting as Angela and I wheeled our bags onto the elevator to head to the upper floors. I'd placed the call to the front desk to get Alice's room number when we returned from our adventure around the city. She hadn't come by to my knowledge and I was pretty sure that she would have left a note of some sort. I grabbed the little pad on the bedside table and scrawled a little note to leave her before we locked up the room. I was running the risk of bumping into Edward by taking the clothes to her myself, which I wasn't comfortable with. I had worked out two scenarios if the situation arose: one would be to simply ignore him and complete the task at hand, and the other involved an apology from my end on being a total idiot and giving myself over to him on a silver platter.

The elevator chimed as we reached the floor and the doors opened to reveal a hallway similar to ours. We followed the door numbers together, Angela right at my side for support, when we found her room.

"Here goes nothing," I whispered out loud.

I knocked gently on Alice's room door, having a sense of déjà vu as I waited for a response. I couldn't hear music this time and I didn't hear movement on the other side. I knocked again, deciding that she may not be in, possibly out shopping before the flight out to Germany. Angela looked at me with worry as she looked at her watch and back to my face, suspecting no one was coming to answer the door.

"We have to go Bella," her motherly concern kicked up her statement.

I sighed as I placed the grey coat, her clothes and fire read heels in a neat pile tucked into the doorway. After tucking the note into the right shoe, I looked around to see if anyone would notice the items here. I hoped that she would come back before someone came this way. Grabbing the handle of my bag and walking back down the hallway to the elevator, I tried to leave all of my emotions and memories there, sitting in a disheveled mess in that corridor.

**EPOV**

* * *

The guided tour took longer than I wanted it to, and since I had finally figured out what to say to Bella, I was incredible impatient to get back to the hotel. As the guide departed at the hotel lobby, I bounded for the elevator, shoving tourists out of my way to get up to her floor as fast as possible. I wanted to be honest with her, just to look in her eyes and tell her I was a fool. I never meant to hurt her fragile heart and leave her to cry there in the darkness. I wasn't even afraid of her anger any longer; I would make her understand my growing feelings for her.

The elevator dinged as it reached the lobby floor and I flew into the small cabin and slammed my finger on the button to close the doors and then the button for her floor. The people that were waiting behind me had looks of anger and began to curse at me in many languages. I yelled out that the elevator was occupied as the doors clicked shut and the cabin moved up the shaft to Bella's floor. My heart was racing, from the adrenaline and the anticipation. I drummed my fingers on my legs impatiently, cursing the pulley system that wasn't going fast enough.

After a few more seconds that felt like hours, the elevator reached its destination. I nearly ripped the doors open in a hurry and ran down the hallway to her doorway. I reached the entrance to her room where the door was open. Taking a deep breath, I turned and prepared to face Bella in all of her glory.

Instead I was met with a maid, cleaning up the little tufts that were scattered around the carpet. Her face looked shocked to see me standing there, but turned to concern as my face began to pale.

I was too late… she was gone.

The ache in my chest bloomed into full on agony as I turned and felt like I limped back to the elevator. I was riding such an emotional high when I arrived back at the hotel and now it was all for nothing. I cursed out loud and punched the button on the wall to bring the elevator back so I could go to my room. My frustration stemmed from the fact that I had waited in fear, sitting in my room before we left cowering at the thought of coming to her. I should have known something was off when the only group on the tour was from my school.

I boarded the elevator seething in rage and rode it up to my floor thinking of all of the ways I was a complete idiot. Glowering at my reflection in the doors as the bell chimed my arrival, I exited with my fists clenched. I spotted the door to my room and growled as I attempted to fish the key from my jean pocket. My long strides brought me down the corridor and to my door in mere moments. I growled as I slammed the key into the handle and listened for the lock to disengage.

Something red flashed in the corner of my eye as I stood there taking out my anger on the handle, and I turned sharply to meet the intruding color with my rage. Once I saw what adorned the color, the key fell from my hand and I released my iron grip on the handle, falling to my knees by the little pile. There in Alice's doorway sat an unoffending pile of clothing topped off with her red shoes like a cherry on a sundae. I could smell the scent of Bella in the little space they occupied and groaned audibly as I spotted my favorite grey coat on the bottom of the pile.

The note tucked into the right shoe donned her messy handwriting, written on a scrap from a hotel pad in her room.

Thanks for everything. Bella.

* * *

**A/N: *sniffle* I feel so sorry for Edward even if he was douchey to her. He was so freaking amped....**

**Reviews are love and I love you! :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Crossing the Ocean of Agony

**A/N: Sorry it takes me so long to update in between chapters. I try to get them out ASAP, just balancing them between everything else.**

**Thanks to druscilla831 for betaing the majority of this chapter for me. There's a section I didn't send her, it was far too late in the night to wake her up for this. :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and I don't live in Europe.

* * *

**

**BPOV

* * *

**

I sat in my seat, feeling completely phlegmatic about the events that had led me to this point. In such a short span of time, the world around me had changed so drastically. I had no idea how to feel, how to reach out to others or be comforted any longer. Even Angela's futile attempts to console me in the airport were useless; I was in the process of shutting down. I imagined that my mind was building the wall, blocking out the outside world and its entire stigma. I was simply a shell where Bella should have been.

I couldn't remember getting on the plane to Italy, or when the pilot told the passengers to fasten their seatbelts. My mind was racing to a different time and many different places at once. At first I imagined I was back in Forks, lying out in the yard with my beloved Mac Book letting the sun warm my face. The image blurred into a small brown haired girl, bouncing through a dusty yard with her mother playing ring around the rosy. I saw Jacob, running through the rain to the carport to fix Evelyn's car, a wide grin splitting his face when I reached him, drenched clothing and all. The last image was a bronzed haired boy, leaning in a doorway clad in a towel with jeweled eyes melting into mine.

I tried to fold myself in to a ball in my seat but the seatbelt cut into my stomach and prevented me from hiding from last memory. I opted to grab my head instead, trying to shake the thoughts of the boy from my brain. If anyone was looking at me I didn't notice. I didn't even know if people were insane enough to sit beside me at this point.

The vision taunted me and started tearing down my mental wall brick my brick. It felt like with every stone removed, my heart sank further and further in my chest, filling with such an ocean of agony I thought it may explode. I remembered all of the time I spent preparing my confession to my parents. I remembered all of the fleeting moments with Edward and his warm smile in Paris and London. The images crashed down around me, drowning me in waves of anguish.

I heard myself groan as I clenched my skull harder and squeezed my eyes shut. Just when the misery was almost too much to bear, my subconscious took me back to the time before I'd boarded this plane.

****

_Earlier that day…_

The process of getting our group through security and waiting for the plane to pull up to the gate took longer than the actual flight to Germany. It felt like we had just taken off and then suddenly we were landing safely in another country. Angela was beside me and Ben on the opposite side of her, the three of us peering out of the window to the lights of Berlin. Angela turned back to Ben in excitement, positively glowing in the little overhead lamp I'd turned on for reading through the flight. I tucked the worn book back into my bag and offered a small smile. It was the least I could do to offer up some emotion other than the ones I was masking.

The truth was I had been brooding over the way I left things with Alice in Paris. I felt cold and heartless, even though I left her a note with her clothes. I kept trying to convince myself that it was best that I hadn't stayed at her door, waiting for her like a lost puppy. God only knows what she would have thought of me then. On the other hand I was glad that I didn't stick around to see Edward. I had been dreading the possibility of seeing him in the hotel, in the airport, or even worse, getting stuck sitting with him on this plane. Luckily he was no where to be found.

The lights came on in the cabin, illuminating the scene around me. I stood and prepared myself to move with my camera bag in hand. Ben and Angela stepped out into the walkway, filing in line with the other students and chaperones. I waited until the end of the line, fearing that I may trip and fall in front of the line of oncoming people.

The bus ride to the hotel felt like we were moving at the speed of light as well. I was having a conversation with Jessica when the bus came to a halt. The coordinator welcomed us to Berlin and announced that we would have separate hotel rooms, which was met with a great applause from the students. I felt so withdrawn from the world around me as I debarked the bus and waited for my bag. I found myself focusing on the note and the way I left things with Alice more disturbing the longer I contemplated them and it continued to throw my concept of time off.

Of course when I got to the privacy of my own room, my mind decided I couldn't hide my real concerns any longer. Dragging up all of the self doubt I could muster, I started to think about all of the things I could have done differently with Edward. What if I didn't get drunk in London? What if I never kissed him at that pub? What if I'd never talked to Alice about him? What if I wouldn't have had wine at dinner? What if I didn't kiss him back? What if I didn't offer myself up to him like a sacrifice to the virginal alters?

What if… what if… what if…

I stared blankly at the pattern on my pajama pants pondering the questions rolling in my head. I didn't cry and I couldn't get angry. All of those emotions were still scattered in some random hallway in Paris. Now I was left feeling nothing, a blank slate with no materials to mold with; just an idea in the artist's mind that stews and festers until they can lay their hands on the right medium. My hands itched with the need to paint _something._ I used to paint at random times of the day as a venting mechanism at home before Evelyn moved in with Charlie. Art was my outlet, but here I had none.

I resolved that closing my eyes and going to sleep would have to do, as it was a much better alternative to talking it out with any of my friends. I feared the ridicule in their eyes for my situation. I was sure that Angela knew more than she was letting on and Jessica was blissfully unaware, too wrapped up in Mike Newton to care. Keeping the awkward silence over the subject was crucial until I was able to solve it myself. As I set the small alarm clock and flipped off the light, I thought about the happiness and love surrounding my friends. I was happy that they each had someone to share themselves with, but envied them all the same for that ability to put trust and faith in another person so completely.

**EPOV

* * *

**

I could hear Alice's shrieking from under the pillow I had over my face. I didn't move to assist her because she wasn't hurt. I didn't dare remove the pillow from my face either; doing so would release her assault of words on my eardrums. I started to wonder if the sole intention of my parents was to create her to annoy the hell out of me until I moved out. Even then would the torment truly be over? There was no doubt in my mind she'd want to check my fashion habits when I got my own place in the fall.

Her malevolent words that were spewing from her glossy lips weren't concerning my fashion now. No, she was much more focused on the mirror I had shattered only a few hours ago with my fist before we left Paris. Granted she wasn't the one that had to pay for it, but she wasn't exactly happy about packing up her makeup with shards of glass in her bags. I could care less, the hotel would bill my father at the info I'd left for them and everyone would move on. Well most of them anyhow. Alice would be bitter about it until I bought her something to make her happy. There was no consoling myself however.

I inhaled the scent of the freshly washed pillowcase as Alice wrapped up her ranting and stormed out of my room and into her own. We had arrived at the hotel in Brussels only an hour prior, finding that we would once again be sharing a bathroom between conjoined rooms. I chuckled when Alice glowered at me when she noticed this fact.

"If you even think about breaking this mirror before we leave I'm going to break your face," she spat at me earlier.

While it was funny then, the silence in my room after her departure was sucking the humor from the moment, wrapping me in a vexatious loneliness. I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts, because they would immediately turn to the one person that I could no longer console. There was no way to reach out to her now, she had left her note at my sister's door and vanished like a warm day in Chicago.

I lifted my head and tucked the pillow back underneath it. I stared at the light casting itself on my hotel room's ceiling, trying my hardest to forget about her and the apology I had prepared to give her. Her glossy chocolate eyes haunted me, accusing me of hurting her in the deepest way possible by rejecting her. I threw my hands over my eyes and rubbed them wearily, cursing myself for being such a moron and waiting to apologize. As I rolled on my side I felt the soft sheets slide across my skin, trying to comfort me with their caress. Nothing could sooth the ache in my head or my heart.

The door to the bathroom swung open with a whoosh and I didn't bother rolling over to face my furious sister. No doubt she was mad over nothing, yet again.

"Edward," she said rather calmly in relation to her entrance, "I'm only going to warn you once. You better get up and start getting ready to head out now or you'll pay the consequences later."

I waved my arm over my head and waved her away, "I don't have time for your idol threats Alice, not to mention the fact that I'm not going out today."

"I think you are! You're not going to break a mirror into my makeup bag, possibly causing me seven years of bad luck _and_ deny me the pleasure of your company in Belgium," she pouted.

"Let me put this is plain English for you, or maybe I should try one of the other 5 languages you and I are fluent in since you don't seem to understand…" I started growling at her.

"Even then you'd get your adjectives wrong," she snorted.

"I'.," I threw at her pointedly.

"Fine," she huffed, "You'll pay for it later."

The bathroom door clicked again as it shut behind her. I didn't bother rolling over, opting to stare blankly at the wall instead of the white ceiling. The hideous wallpaper at least provided some distraction as I traced the pattern with my eyes, following the swirls around and around. The light tan color reminded me of coffee creamer and I dangled my arm off the side of the bed to point a finger at the swirls and let it follow the pattern my eyes could no longer hold.

As sleep tickled the edge of my senses, I closed my eyes but continued to swirl my finger listlessly in the air over the edge of the bed. I imagined that I was dipping my finger into a pool of coffee, swirling the creamer around to blend the two liquids together. The two liquids wouldn't combine in my mind, so I swirled harder with my finger hoping to mix them completely. It was to no avail, they would not mix together. I focused my attention to the darker colored liquid as I kept turning my hand around and around. Slowly the colors started to shrink from a pool to a cup, then a cup to drops. My mind strained to see the creamer in the darker liquid as they transformed. I stopped moving my hand abruptly when the liquid revealed its final form, a set of chocolate colored eyes staring back at me.

The pain that rocked through my back tripled the pain that built itself in my chest. I could feel the sharp point as Alice dug her heel into my shoulder blade. She was right; I was paying for it now. Pinned to the mattress from the pressure and stabbing torment of her foot and the burning in my chest I felt like I was burning from the inside out. I laid there wincing in agony and letting the pain consume me as I heard my sister's breathing from above me.

"Are you ready to go now?" she chuckled darkly as she removed her heel from my back.

As I felt the fire receding from the point on my back, the pain in my chest multiplied as more thoughts of the feelings I'd inflicted on Bella crashed into my mind. Her chocolate eyes, constantly judging me as the images replayed themselves over again.

I was coherent enough that I heard Alice's huff and the shuffle as she lifted her leg to pin me again. I rolled over quickly and snatched her ankle in my hand and pulled her legs out from under her, sending her small body crashing to the mattress below her. I all but snapped at her as I towered over her, showing my fury in full force.

"If you _ever_ fucking think of doing that again," I roared into her astonished face, "I will rip that tiny little leg off of your body and you'll have more than broken mirrors to worry about."

I heard her gasp and waited for her rebuttal, but the words never came. Alice was no shrimp and normally she would have shot back some sort of remark but I watched as her lips began to tremble below me. The tears pooled up and spilled over instantly, streaking the fresh mascara across her face and into her hair. I backed up against the headboard to give her plenty of space to get up, still not feeling like I was giving her enough. The room felt like it was an inferno with my rage and the emotions sucking out the air around me.

Alice lifted her body swiftly from the mattress and dusted off her clothes to smooth out the wrinkles. The look she gave me as she wiped away the mascara with her fingertips chilled me to the core. Her words before she left my room were simple and laced with venom.

"You're a monster."

The words resonated in my heart and in my mind as I clutched the sheets in terror; I couldn't agree more.

**BPOV

* * *

**

Sleep only managed to suppress the thoughts in my head. I woke up mildly refreshed as the alarm buzzed from the night stand. I slapped my hand down on the top of the intruding noise and opened my groggy eyes to read the time.

"10:30…" I groaned to the quiet in my room.

The chaperones were scheduled to take us out on a mini tour setup by the trip coordinators that would be in a scavenger hunt format. While the idea was utterly ridiculous, I thought about the distraction it would bring me, using my mind for something other than lamenting over Edward and Alice. The idea excited me as I flung the covers back and almost skipped into the bathroom to shower.

****

The tour bus pulled up to a remaining section of the Berlin Wall and opened its doors to let the passengers out. I grabbed my camera and purse as I followed out the crew onto the pavement. The air held a chill that drifted around the concrete barrier and through my thin jacket. I cursed the misguiding sun that shined overhead, making me think that there was enough warmth in its rays to keep me warm. As I shuffled over the to the graffiti splattered wall, I huddled with my friends, praying their warmth could hold me over until we returned to the safe haven of the bus.

I could hear Lauren Mallory reading aloud the history of the Berlin Wall from a sheet the coordinator had given her. Once I realized that you had to read aloud at each landmark on the tour, I quickly stopped trying to answer questions. I wasn't in the mood to be in the spotlight in front of my fellow classmates today. As Lauren's nasally speech came to a close, the crowd started to disperse to further inspect the graffiti.

As I started taking the cap off of my camera lens, Angela pulled me aside with a look of unease on her brow.

"Are you okay Bella?" she asked, eyes fluttering around to make sure no one was listening.

"I'm fine Angela," I smiled. I was honestly feeling better as the day had progressed. I started running through Berlin's key history points each time something resembling a self doubt started creeping into my psyche.

"You sure?"

"I swear," I promised and eyed Ben waiting for Angela's company, "Go spend time with Ben, you've spent too much of this trip being with me." I shooed her in his direction.

I watched her skip over to his spot on the concrete and wrap her hand in his as they walked together down the sidewalk.

****

As the scavenger hunt tour came to a close and I returned to my room alone, chewed on the granola bar I had opted for as my dinner. My camera bag bounced lightly as I made my way to my door and closed it behind me, locking out the outside world.

My shower was brief but fulfilling as I let the warm water cascade down my stomach and onto the shower floor. The steam in the small room hugged me like a thick smoke as I attempted to dry off and get ready for bed. The light pajama pants brushed my skin as I slid them on and exited the bathroom, seeking out my camera and the comfort of the hotel bed.

I pulled the covers down that I never bothered to straighten out this morning and cradled my camera in my hands as I plopped on to the mattress. I flipped the switch to cut the camera on and killed the bedside lamp as the LCD screen illuminated my face. I made it to the review screen and looked over the shots I'd taken for the day.

My eyes didn't miss the picture of a small bronzed haired boy with his mother. I flipped off the camera quickly and buried myself under the comforter in the darkness.

**EPOV

* * *

**

I had spent the entire day in my room, buried in the shame and pain that burned in the air around me. I held on to those feelings as I wallowed in my misery until the morning. A soft tap on the door from Alice woke me up from my sleep. It was the only noise she had made since my horrible act in at the hotel. I glanced to my right where she towed her bags in silence through the security lines. Her face was blank and solemn much like she was attending a funeral rather than about to board a flight.

The pain threatened to rekindle in my chest as I watched her suffering, but I beat it back down before I made a fool of myself. It was going to take much more than pretty gifts to win her over this time. I was really going to have to apologize for my behavior and mean it. This apology would be different from the one I had foreseen for Bella though. Treating Alice in such a manner was inexcusable.

Our luggage was checked and we moved to the gate to board our flight to Italy. I reached for her hand, patting it gently between my own before she yanked it from my grasp. The fringes of my numbness started to glow with the pain of rejection from my own blood.

I truly was a monster after all.

**BPOV

* * *

**

My phone started to chime in my pocket as I sat in the terminal the next morning, the annoying ringing and vibrating waking up Jessica from her nap beside me. I eyeballed my pocket in confusion and distain; if anyone's phone should be ringing, it shouldn't be mine. I slid my hand into the pocket and pulled out my iPhone to shut off the offending noise, but the screen showed my dad's face and phone number.

"Hello," I answered, letting the shock filter into my greeting.

"Hey Bella, its Jacob."

"Oh hey Jake, I thought you were my dad," I explained, much more confused, "How can you be calling me? My phone doesn't have international service."

"It does now," he chuckled heartily, "Your mom was driving Charlie crazy with text messages because they hadn't heard from you in days. So he called the phone company to have it turned on. How's Europe?"

I cringed at the memories resurfacing and twirled the bracelet on my arm, "It's good," I answered, trying to push the most convincing tone I could.

"Find some French dude to sweep you off your feet?" he laughed.

"That's enough Jacob," I heard Charlie call from the other end of the phone, "Get Renee on the phone so we can talk to Bella."

"Ugh," Jacob groaned, "He's been so miserable since you've been gone. I think it's the diner food but don't tell Evelyn I said that," he covered the phone and whispered.

"Unless you're kissing that phone to make the three-way calling work, you better be dialing and not yapping boy," my dad threatened.

I suppressed my laughter at Jacob's expense as he groaned again and clicked to the second line to dial my mom's number. When the sound came back on the line, I could hear a soft ringing and my dad's breathing into the receiver.

"You really shouldn't be so hard on him dad," I finally let my giggle loose in his ear. It felt like the first time I'd laughed in ages.

"He deserved it," he grunted in my ear.

"Hello?" my mom's voice came on the line.

"Hey mom," I greeted her.

"Hey baby!" she almost squealed.

The line fell quiet for a few moments and I could hear Charlie's breath rushing into his receiver. The silence was uncomfortable and awkward as I waited for my biological parents to at these acknowledge each other.

"So," I broke first, "Charlie, this is Renee. Renee this is Charlie. You know, you were married once, you could at least be cordial," I sighed.

"Hello Charlie," my mom's tone fell flat.

"Hello Renee," my dad grunted.

I rolled my eyes and got up out of my seat so I wouldn't continue to irritate Jessica. I walked to the window overlooking the tarmac and rested on the sill away from other passengers.

"So how's Europe baby? Meet any cute guys?" my mom chimed in. I heard Charlie clear his throat loudly.

"Europe's great," I replied quickly and started twirling the bracelet again, more nervous, "No guys though," I lied for my dad's benefit.

Charlie cut my mom off as she was about to speak again, "Good, we don't need you coming home pregnant with some foreign man's kid."

"Oh please Charlie, Bella is _not _that stupid!"

I listened to them argue absent mindedly and picked at my nails. It was obvious in the years since the divorce they had clearly become separated exponentially. Once I found an opening I jutted back into the conversation.

"Three-way calling, great idea dad," I commented dryly as I flicked at my thumb nail.

"It was your mother's idea," I heard him all but sneer into the phone.

"Does it really matter?" I asked before my mom could pipe up and start another fight, "You both wanted to talk to me. I'm here, so talk."

They both were quiet, not wanting to argue again. I took the opportunity to start the conversation, I was curious about things at home.

"How's Evelyn?" I asked Charlie, "Jacob says you're eating at the diner a lot, is she at work all the time?"

I heard my mom snort at my dad's new wife and I could imagine him glaring at the phone ready to smash it into the cradle. Thankfully, he refrained and answered in a clipped tone.

"She's good, I'm good."

"Well that's… good," I said with a lack of another word to use.

"How was your trip to Florida mom?"

It was my dad's turn to snort; he had really frowned on the fact that she skipped my graduation for Phil.

"It was good," she answered in a clipped tone similar to Charlie's.

I sighed and stared at the bracelet adorning my wrist and started talking about some of the things I'd seen and done in Europe. I made sure to skim over the things about meeting Edward and the drinking. While I was sure Renee probably wouldn't mind details on either of them, Charlie would have had a brain aneurysm before the end of the call. I heard squeaking footsteps in the background of someone's line then heard Evelyn come into the kitchen to kiss Charlie on the cheek.

"I brought in the mail. Bella's got a big package here," I heard her Southern drawl as she told Charlie about the mail, "Who's on the phone?" she questioned.

"Bella," he whispered, neglecting to mention my mother's presence.

"Keeping secrets now Charles?" my mom chimed in, using his formal name to piss him off.

"And Renee…" he growled into the phone.

"Hello Bella!" she said in a cheery tone, "Hey Renee," she acknowledged my mom an octave or two lower but not in a nasty way.

"What package did I get?" I questioned. I hadn't been expecting anything.

"Something from New York University," he answered and I heard the rustling of the envelope.

My heart sped up in my chest, beating like a bird flying around in a cage trapped in a dark room. I felt the lump of panic growing in my throat, choking off the air to my lungs. I was terrified, so much so that I couldn't even come up with a witty comment about how it was against federal law to read mail addressed to me. I heard him grunt on the other end of the line and wanted to break down crying in fear of what was coming. In truth I had forgotten about this package, so wrapped up in sulking over a boy to remember things back in Forks. I'd been praying that the admissions package would come when I got home. Fate was clearly not on my side lately.

"Congratulations Ms. Swan," he began to read the letter, "We are pleased to inform you that we have accepted you into our art program for the upcoming fall semester." I could hear his chuckling as he finished the sentence. "Arts program? Why on Earth would they have accepted you for that Bells?"

I was silent for a long moment before I could clear my throat. I shifted my shoe into the floor of the terminal, trying to pick out the words I wanted to use to explain. I wasn't ready for this, no matter how many times I'd tried to prepare myself for it.

"Bella?" my mom questioned through her end of the line.

"I'm here," I choked out.

"Do you mind explaining this?" I heard more paper shuffling, obviously my dad browsing the papers in the packet, "This is an admissions package. What the hell is going on here?" he started raising his tone.

I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks as I built up the courage to tell them what was really going on. I was torn between just telling them to forget about it and telling them the truth. Why the truth was so much harder I'll never know. I started to form the words when I heard more footsteps on the other end of the line, hurried squeaking ones.

"I don't want to go to UCLA," I finally choked out my confession in a whisper.

"What?!" they chimed in unison before exploding into a conjoined mess of shouts and appeals.

I held the phone away from my ear and began to silently sob against the window sill. I pressed the phone back to my ear after a few moments to hear a scuffling from my dad's end and my mother pleading on hers, wondering what was going on.

"Dad?" I whispered into my cell phone.

A hard voice came onto the line, filled with frustration and what I thought was rage.

"Renee," Jacob snarled into the receiver, "I think its best you hang up now."

I gasped at his tone with her and wanted to protest my point but he cut me short.

"Bella, I rescued your papers from the trash," he panted out his anger with my father, "No one's going to tell you that you can't be happy. Not on my watch."

The finality of that statement and the click of the receiver meeting the cradle nearly made me drop my phone to the terminal floor.

* * *

**A/N: The truth is out!**

**Just want to clear it up before people go nuts. Edward DOES NOT hate Alice, he DID NOT hurt her physically or abuse her. **

**He was pissed and told her to GTFO of him. You try having a stiletto in your shoulder and tell me how happy you are about it. :)**

**Thanks for hanging in there for all of this "Ocean of Emotional Agony." I promise good times are a coming.**


	12. Chapter 12: Sadness Had to Come

**A/N: This story was recommended for a weekly reading suggestion at Simply Twilight! *gasp/squeal/fangirl* I can't thank the lovely ladies over there enough for it! **

**Big hugs and thanks go to druscilla831 for beta'n this chapter. :)**

**Lots and lots of listening to MAE went into writing this chapter. Check them out. **

**Disclaimer: While I think it's pretty obvious I don't own the characters, we all know Stephenie Meyer does. **

* * *

_ "We need sadness, so we can value happiness." _

**EPOV**

* * *

I walked off the plane in silence, watching the floor in front of me as my pace increased to get to the luggage claim. Ever since the incident with Alice in Belgium I'd been surrounded by the absence of her voice. She wouldn't acknowledge my existence, even if she was sitting next to me on the flight. She had made a point to bury her nose into a fashion magazine the instant she sat down and buckled her seatbelt. Even now as we walked off the jet into the sunny interior of the terminal I could only hear the clicking of her prized Manolo's and her soft breathing.

I reached the baggage claim and grabbed Alice's bags from the conveyor belt and brought them to the floor, pulling the handle up for her so she could grab them quickly. I didn't chance looking at her; it would make it seem like I was expecting her to forgive me for my horrible actions. As I stood waiting for my bag to come down the line, I spotted another that looked like Alice's. I turned to look for my sister behind me but she was facing in another direction, all of her luggage in her hand.

By the time my eyes turned back, the bag had made its way down to the opposite end of the long conveyor belt. I looked for the person retrieving it, a small bit of hope flaring in my chest as the memory of whom that luggage may belong to surfaced. I scanned the crowd anxiously, tightening and releasing my fingers from my sweating palms. I was ready to hurdle over the luggage contraption to see her again.

But when my eyes finally found her I could do nothing; I was frozen.

I want to reach out and hug her. The tugging in my chest begged for me to comfort her, but my arms and legs felt like they were made of heavy iron, bolted to the floor where I stood. Her tiny frame was hunched over, curling in on itself like a worn newspaper used for swatting flies. The normally beautiful silken brown hair was disheveled, as if she'd tried to rip the follicles from her scalp and failed. She dragged her feet along as she walked like a zombie towards the exiting hallway. I couldn't see her face, and I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Alice gently pulled on my arm to get my attention, but I was grounded. I wasn't moving until Bella was out of my line of vision. I'd compare it to those disaster shows that come on TV; you know the accident is coming, you know its going to be bad, but you just can't look away. This was me now, only I was the one that had caused the accident.

I had walked away with minor injuries; obviously Bella had not.

Just before the small girl rounded the corner, she lifted her head as if someone had called her name and turned. My beating heart nearly fell onto the marble floor, and I would have gladly torn it out of my chest for her if it was any consolation towards making her feel better. I heard Alice's small gasp at my side; she had obviously spotted my distraction, and the aftermath of my destruction.

Bella's tiny hand was clutching a phone to her ear, but she wasn't speaking to whoever was on the line. The lips that provided the softest smile only days ago were contorted in sheer agony. Her full bottom lip was littered with deep patches of red. I assumed that in her misery she had damn near chewed the thing off of her face. Her skin was so pale against the brown of her unkempt hair and her sweater. It looked unhealthy; too pale and sickly to be the girl that I'd met in London. Under her eyes were deep blotches of purple and black, almost as if someone had beaten her.

Bella barely moved her mouth before she pulled the iPhone from her cheek and ended the call. As if she felt my eyes shamelessly gawking at her, she turned in my direction, red eyes scanning the crowd. I saw her lock on to me and watched in horror as her agony slowly burned her into a pile of ashes before me.

**BPOV**

* * *

The flight had been the worst flight I'd ever been on. Not because the turbulence rocked the cabin like a buoy on the sea. Not because everyone refused to sit next to me in my current condition. It was the worst because I was in pain emotionally and being trapped in the air, I could do nothing to escape it. Even reaching out to things that were familiar to me; things like home and my parents, were no longer a comfort to me.

I don't know how I made it off of the plane. My sole thought process when we landed was calling home. Remembering the shock and underlying disappointment made my tender mind cringe, I could only hope that by retracting my statement from only hours earlier would make things right. It was going to be hard, but giving up on your biggest dreams always would be.

My phone chimed with missed calls and voicemail alerts when I crossed the entrance into the terminal and turned the ringer back on. I skipped listening to the many messages and went straight to the missed calls list. The last one was from Charlie's number, roughly fifteen minutes ago. I had come to the conclusion that I would call him first. I was living with him after all and he was the one that had the package. I pressed the screen and put the phone to my cheek as I followed Angela and Ben to the luggage pickup.

"Hello?" Jacob's voice answered the phone, much calmer than only hours earlier.

"Jacob?" I asked, my voice hoarse from all of the ragged, choking sobs I'd let out on the plane.

"Are you okay Bella?" his voice lowered, my dad was obviously listening in, "You sound like shit."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, "Is my dad there? I need to speak with him."

"I don't think that's such a good idea right now," he replied uneasily.

"Now is not the time for games Jacob," I managed to lash out at him.

"I'm not playing games _Bella_," he threw emphasis on my name as he spoke, "Charlie isn't here anyway; he's out fishing with my dad."

I looked to the floor in defeat. I'd missed my window of opportunity to take it all back. As I sighed with resignation, I continued towards the luggage claim. Apparently this emotional breakdown was worse than before; I'd been reduced to dragging my body through the airport instead of shuffling.

"I saved your papers, they're hidden under the towels in the linen closet," he confessed as I spotted my bag coming down the belt.

"You should throw them away," I whispered as I grabbed the handle and brought my bag to the floor.

I followed aimlessly behind Angela and Ben again as they headed towards the main exit. Jacob began yelling in my ear at an unreasonable decibel level, trying to get his point across. I didn't get a point to interject in his ranting, so I cringed as he continued. He was adamant that I was going to NYU, whether it pissed off my parents or not. I could tell that he honestly wanted to see me happy but I had already convinced myself that giving up was just easier. I would find far less resistance in submitting to the will of my dad and mom than trying to put up a fight. I would be heart broken, giving up my ideas for apartments in New York and covering my walls with my masterpieces. I would trade them for long papers and countless amounts of research, long nights in the library and little amounts of sleep. I didn't realize he'd stopped talking until he called my name through the line.

"Belllla…Earth to Bella," he held out the L's in my name.

As the mental images of me working hard at UCLA faded, I felt it. Something was tickling the back of my neck and my mind, vying for my immediate attention. I lifted my head and paused as the group continued around the corner, trying to find what was bothering me. While Jacob calling my name in my ear was part of it, there was something in this airport, something that wanted me.

"Jacob," I whispered, "I need to go."

"But wait Bella, we need to talk!" They were the last words I heard before I touched the 'End Call' button on my phone and tucked it in my pocket.

I turned to the left, searching the main hall of the terminal as the crowd walked past me; heading to whatever destination their feet would ultimately take them to. No one seemed to notice me, leaning slightly against the wall with my hand gripping my luggage handle safely. The feeling still remained; like something was about to happen but I couldn't put my finger on it. A feeling of anticipation rode the air even though there was no breeze to be found in this stuffy corridor.

I turned to my right and looked back at the way I had come, certain I would find someone from my school's group behind me. Surely a chaperone or a student, looking for any last minute stragglers from our flight would be behind me. There was no one I knew from school, no recognizable adults.

I nearly gave up my search to find where the feeling was coming from when I saw him. He was standing by the same luggage claim that I'd come from, only on the opposite side. His sister was beside him, a ghastly look of shock on her face as she reached up to cover her gaping mouth. The clothes on his body looked as if he'd worn them for weeks. The dark jeans were rumpled and wrinkled as if they'd slept as a pile of garbage on the floor. His black shirt hung on his frame awkwardly, as if the material had been tugged on or torn from his body and then replaced. His stance was one of confusion but promptitude, feet spread and hands clenching and uncurling at his sides.

As I looked at the scene before me I was in shock, probably just as much as they were to see me. The sun chose that precise moment to beam through the glass ceiling into the building where he stood. His hair soaked up every bit of sunlight, causing his bronze hair to look like fire on top of his head. I chanced looking at his face, no doubt expecting to find the resentment and disgust he saw in me.

What I found was none of those things. The green eyes that clearly bore back into my own were filled with something else, but not the ugly emotions I had expected. His face was just as beautiful as I had remembered, but worn somehow. His mouth fell slack as his lips looked as if he wanted to say something. But his eyes held me there, pinned to the corner of the wall while I stared at him in all of his sun lit glory.

I soaked up the image of him, a fiery angel descending upon the common folk of this terminal. Then the pain seared through my chest, forcing me to turn the other way, ripping me nearly in two as I realized he could never be mine.

I put my back to the wall, taking in big gulps of air to calm myself and prayed that he wouldn't come to check on me. I'd managed to get around the corner of the wall, dragging my bag with me, in an attempt to save myself further embarrassment. I eyed the signs in search for the clearest route to the exit, measuring the amount of steps it would take to escape, the amount of times I could possibly fall if I ran and the length of time it would take to get there.

It wasn't until the familiar perfume wrapped around my senses that I knew I was too late.

**Alice POV**

* * *

This was something I hadn't expected…

Seeing Bella again of course was inevitable; if Edward had the benefit of reading Bella's trip packet, he would have known he'd meet up with her again eventually. However, my brother chose to totally botch his chances with her, all in protection of her innocence. I'd scoffed at him when we argued. Nothing about Edward Cullen screamed 'Protector of Virtues.' ..

I had sat back in Belgium, and I'll admit that I pulled a total bitch move by withholding information from Edward about the groups reuniting in Italy. He needed to know how bad he'd screwed this one up, and neglecting to tell him that he had a second shot was the only way I knew to make him _really_ think about it. My plan was working, well, up until he pulled that little dominant male stunt on his bed. I still wasn't talking to him, deciding that it was better he sulk about it some more until he came up with a really good apologize. I had no problems apologizing for my actions, but there was no way in hell I was caving first.

He damn near broke me from my silent vow in the terminal before we boarded the plane in Belgium. Grabbing my hand and giving it a small pat was something our father always did to reassure me, and Edward mimicked this sentiment with his gesture. I didn't miss the suffering in his eyes when I yanked my hand out of his grasp, so I ended up diving into the latest Elle magazine to stiffen my resolve. Nothing made a girl feel better than the prospect of retail therapy.

But now, standing in the bright, sunny terminal, I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. The crushing pain was coming off of him in waves, saturating the air around me. I could see Bella's pain as well, the way she was dressed, her grotesque hair and the look on her face before she ducked behind the corner.

"Edward," I whispered as I grabbed his elbow and shook him lightly, "Edward…"

I could only elicit a moan from him to which I growled as a response. Someone needed to go to her and it clearly wasn't going to be him. I took two steps towards the main corridor before I felt his snake like hands wrap around my wrist to yank me back. I planted my heels into the marble and turned to glare at him.

"Don't," his said, eyes throwing a warning off like a beacon.

"She needs help Edward. If you're not man enough to walk over there and do it then I will," I spat back at him and jerked my wrist from his grip. This whole big man on campus stuff was not flying with me, not one bit.

I left my bags in his care and walked over to the corner where I knew Bella was still hiding. I heard her sucking in the stuffy air as I approached the marble wall, a panic attack no doubt. As I rounded the corner I found her, back slumping into the wall, eyes flying all over the place and more heavy breathing. To anyone passing by, she'd appear to be running from someone or something.

"Bella?" I called her name when she closed her eyes.

"Hi Alice," she murmured softly. It was hard to hear her in this crowded hallway.

"Are you okay?" I asked then rolled my eyes inwardly at myself. It was pretty obvious that she was not okay.

"Yeah," she huffed, "I'll be fine in a minute or two."

I felt like I was getting an instant replay of my brother wallowing in misery in Belgium. I crossed my arms and watched as she slowly turned to look at me.

"Thank you for returning my clothes," I thanked her brightly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not a problem."

"I'm really sorry about my brother's behavior," I apologized for him, "I didn't expect it to turn out like that."

She cringed away from the mentioning of him.

"I said I'd be fine Alice," she snapped at me.

I put every ounce of a serious business look on my face as I could muster.

"If you're 'fine,' then why are you still here? Shouldn't you be heading to the hotel by now?" I retorted and watched her eyes turn into a glare. "You're not fooling me Bella, you're not fine and you're not going to be for awhile."

I couldn't help but put on a stern face for her, someone had to be the one to stand up to her childish pouting about this awkward situation and tell her to deal with it. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back to hit the wall in frustration. I let her vent, or whatever she was doing and took a look at my watch.

"Excuse me," I pardoned myself politely and grabbed my Blackberry from my pocket. A few quick key strokes and I shot the text message off to my brother. I was positive he wouldn't agree with my message or the methods I was planning on using, but I was pretty positive by tacking on 'or you'll lose her' at the end was going to be my saving grace from having him storm down here and stop me.

"Come on, let's get out of here," I fanned myself as I grabbed her bag handle and started for the exit. I wasn't giving Bella a choice in the matter. There was no way I could leave her there in this hallway, a broken mess left by the aftermath of the maelstrom that was her and my brother.

**BPOV**

* * *

Alice was taking my bag and walking towards the exit.

As I leaned against the wall staring after her, I felt my jaw go slack with shock. What gave her the right to barge into my business like this? I was just fine huffing out my misery of seeing Edward again alone thank you very much. Hanging out with Alice was only going to compound the problems swirling around in my mind. Wherever she went, her brother would undoubtedly follow, thus creating an awkward and embarrassing situation for myself.

I risked glancing back around the corner to see if Edward was still watching the scene play out. But there was no trace of him; he and the entire cumulous pile of luggage had disappeared. I turned around to find Alice in front of me again, my bag in tow.

"I'm not playing around Bella, I will drag you from this airport kicking and screaming if I have to," she threatened with a devious smile.

I wanted to tell her to piss off, I wanted to tell her to go back to her brother and stay the hell out of my business. My irrational side was coming up with all sorts of foul expletives to throw at her so I could crawl back into the shell of myself and cry. My rational side however wasn't having any of that. It urged me to take a look around me, to really see what was going on. Where were my friends from Forks? Hadn't I pushed everyone far enough away that they didn't even notice my absence? More importantly, how was I going to get to the hotel?

I could compare coming out of my lassitude to that of a whip snapping me back into shape. Or the game boys used to play on girls as kids, running up behind them and snapping their bras into their backs. It stung like hell, but the realization that Alice was the only one willing to help me was profound. I raked my hand through my hair raggedly and saw Alice's face wince as I did so; I must look like hell.

"Fine," I huffed in compliance to her demands, "Can I at least use the bathroom before we go?"

"Sure," she smiled, her tone returning to its cheery tinkling.

I looked around quickly before spotting the women's bathroom and made my way across the busy walkway. As I cut across the line of human traffic, people started to notice me now more than before. I could hear their disgusted 'humph's' and sneers as I passed by them to my destination. I almost collided with a woman exiting the bathroom before Alice pulled me out of the way by my sweater.

"I don't know how you're wearing that thing in here. It's sooo hot," she complained.

Honestly, I hadn't noticed the heat that much until she had mentioned it. It was stuffy in the airport, but now that she pointed out the temperature, I could feel the sweat pooling on my skin. I tugged at the thick fabric, lifting it up over my head to reveal the white camisole that was slowly becoming see-through from the added moisture. I grimaced at it and then looked to the mirror above the sink. I looked as if I'd been raped in some back alley and left for dead. My hair was every where, pulled up from the roots and tossed in every direction. My skin was pasty and pale as a sheet of paper with dark circles under my eyes like someone had punched me in both of them. My lip was cracked and looked as if it had been bleeding.

"What the hell happened to me?" I rhetorically asked my reflection.

"Yeah… it's bad, real bad," Alice chimed in her opinion.

I heard her digging through her massive purse as I touched the dark rings under my eyes. I looked horrible, and quite frankly I was ashamed to say that I'd gone out in public like this. My bag was parked next to Alice, so I unzipped the top a bit to grab a fresh shirt and my deodorant. She eyeballed me quickly and continued to dig.

"I'm just going to change shirts and I'll be right out," I said as I pointed to the bathroom stall.

"Mmmkay," she replied without looking up.

I closed the stall door behind me and let out a deep sigh. This whole ordeal with Edward was sure to be a nightmare now that he'd seen me in this condition. That, coupled with the fact that my parents were still probably furious with me was one hell of a mental hurdle to get over. As if on cue, my iPhone chimed in my pocket.

"You okay in there?" Alice questioned.

"Yeah, it's just my parents."

"Oh," why did she sound kind of hurt I wondered, "You should probably get that."

"No, its okay," I called over the metal barrier between us as I slipped off my camisole and rolled on some deodorant.

"You sure? I could let them know you're busy if you want."

I threw the thin shirt over my head and gathered up my things before opening the stall to greet her.

"Right now, I'd rather have a hair brush than another chat with them. Care to oblige?"

She produced a large brush with a hair tie on the handle with a forced smile. I thanked her as I grabbed it and drug it through my knotted hair with excruciating pain. I didn't want to talk about my parents or the argument right now, and I made it pretty clear by forcing the distraction between us. I could see that she wanted to help; maybe I wasn't brushing my hair right and damaging it or something, but I hurried to throw it in a sloppy bun before putting the brush down.

Turning on the water and splashing my face helped clear my mind a little. I tried to use the technique I'd relied on in the shower in France, but the concept wasn't the same. For one, the circumstances were different. I was trying to tackle two emotional monsters at once and even though one far outweighed the other, it was too much to attempt to reconcile here. The other part was that I wasn't alone, and I couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing. I obviously couldn't handle being alone with my feelings and my thoughts, the evidence was clearly written all over my appalling appearance. But I couldn't decide if Alice was the right person for me to confide in. Would it be weird talking to her about my feelings about her brother? Would she be angry with me in the end? Could I really tell her about my issues with my parents and college?

"Ready to go?" she questioned lightly as I turned off the water and rubbed the paper towel across my skin.

"I think so," I all but whispered, still not sure what she had planned.

When we exited the terminal and made it to the sidewalk, I'd expected her to find the rest of our groups so we could ride to the hotel together. Instead she raised her arm, delicately waving and blew a high pitched whistle with the other, flagging down the yellow taxis passing by.

"I hope you don't mind if we ride alone," she inquired as she opened the door for me to get in, "I figured you'd like a break from your friends," she finished with a smile and closed the door behind her.

Little did she know, the two things I really needed a break from weren't going away anytime soon. One of them was her own brother, on a bus heading to the hotel. The other was thousands of miles away, and yet I still couldn't escape the fear of making that call to give up my dreams.

* * *

**A/N: This was a really crappy place for me to cut it off, but believe me when I say it's neccessary. Lots of girl bonding in the next chapter, so bring your spoons and your tub of Edy's. **

**Hope no one minded the Alice POV. I contemplated not putting it in at all and just writing it in BPOV. :P**


	13. Chapter 13: Pink Goo Fixes Everything

**A/N: First, need to apologize that this chapter is so late. I had concerts and other massive projects I've committed myself to and I didn't mean to take that long.**

**Second, thanks to my beta druscilla831. She is the best at beta'n for me when I'm in a rush. :D**

**Third, want to say hello to all of my new readers from Twilighted. I'm trying to get all of my chapters up over there too. :)**

**Lastly, the legal stuff: I don't own the characters, SM is queen bee & I'm just the drone. **

* * *

The color was returning to my face after a few hours, but I couldn't decide if it was from taking a scalding bath or the absurd amount of makeup Alice was painting on my face. I was currently perched in a dainty vanity chair, surrounded by a sea of colored powders, shiny glosses and a multitude of various hairstyling contraptions. You'd think that I was getting married in a few hours with all of the effort she was putting into my appearance. Quite the contrary actually, she was dragging me out in public like this for her favorite extra circular activity; shopping.

'Nothing cures a bad day like retail therapy,' I recalled her chiming her life's motto after I had complained earlier.

I moaned at the thought of going out in public with the way I was feeling and more dreadfully, how I was looking. While the layers of liquids and powders may conceal the mess that was my face, they couldn't cover the disaster that was still trapped inside. Even though Alice had been nothing but gracious and caring since dragging me from the airport, I still wasn't ready to talk about my feelings for her brother or the catastrophe with my parents. The wounds were still too fresh; I imagined that if they were external projections, they'd be deep gashes across my pale flesh, still oozing the crimson blood as it attempted to clot. I shook my head gently to shake the image from my mind, causing Alice to huff in frustration.

"You know, lip stain isn't exactly the easiest thing to cover on an albino," she said as she grabbed a damp tissue and wiped the stain from each side of my face. I imagined I looked like the Joker from Batman as she wiped at the red color which made me giggle.

"Sorry Alice, I was trying not to think about something," I apologized.

Her pale eyes turned from frustration to maternal concern.

"Want to talk about it?" she questioned gently.

"No, I'm okay now," my giggles fell silent.

She had been very cautious with my delicate feelings, only asking if I wanted to talk about it when I would bring it up. I feared the worst would come after we arrived at the hotel earlier this morning and she checked us into a bigger room away from the rest of the travel groups. When she opened the double doors to the massive suite I nearly ran back downstairs to request my previous standard room. The opulence was far more than I deserved for just a few nights of sleep in Rome. I was positive this would be her bargaining chip; she'd pile on the luxury and in return I'd pour my soul out to her so she could psychoanalyze me. So far I'd been lucky; she was letting me get away with saying I was just okay.

Alice grabbed up the lip stain again and the tiny brush to signal she was ready to apply the torture once again.

"Pucker up," she smiled as I made my face look like a fish.

I drifted back into my thoughts as the brush caressed my bottom lip gently. I did feel bad that this predicament was turning out to be a one way street. Alice was doing all of the giving and I was doing all of the taking; it wasn't fair and I knew it. Could I really trust her though? It wasn't like she was someone that I knew very well, and making confessions to strangers usually got people into trouble or further into embarrassment than I needed. The worst possible scenario was that she would relay all of the information back to her brother, which would be totally mortifying. The other concern was talking about my argument with my parents about NYU. Why would she be concerned about my parents' feelings about my college choice? I'm sure that I'd be wasting my breath talking about it; I decided to keep my glossy red lips sealed.

****

After another hour or so of picking out just the right outfits, we were making our way through the lobby. I felt like a Barbie doll; tight jeans and a screen printed t-shirt with some ridiculous shoes that Alice insisted I wear. She was making her way to the front door when I stumbled, almost falling to the carpet behind her. I regained my balance and stared down at the strappy contraptions on my feet, cursing them for the trouble they were already bringing me.

"It takes real skills to trip over a flat surface Bella," I heard Alice chuckle as she moved through the doorway.

I scowled at the back of her pretty little head and seriously gave some consideration to checking into my original room with Angela. The front desk was only eight or nine feet away and it would save me the guilt of trying to keep mum about my thoughts and the torture of playing dress up tomorrow. I could see Alice staring at me through the glass; no doubt she knew what I was thinking as my eyes shifted from the glass to the front desk. She frowned at me at first, and then the look turned into an honestly hurt expression. It was that second look that made my resolve dwindle; I didn't want anyone else's feelings hurt while I was still dealing with my own.

I blew out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and made my way through the golden framed doorway. The doorman bid us farewell as we walked down the sidewalk. Alice began to walk around and unlocked the door to a bright yellow car, something that looked far too expensive for me to even be within a hundred feet of without breaking something.

"Alice… "I stammered in shock, "What are you doing?"

"Did you really think I was going to make you walk around Rome in those shoes?" she giggled in delight, "I'm not **that** crazy!"

"Did you really have to go through all of this?" The little Porsche logo glared up at me from the sunny yellow hood.

"Well it was either this or a Ferrari, and someone had already called in to reserve the F430," her face fell like she was disappointed at the thought.

"Why not something a little less conspicuous, like a Honda or something?" I couldn't believe she was serious about this.

"It's just a rental Bella! It's not like we're stealing it or making a long term purchase. Although I may have to have a talk with my dad when I get home," she was almost purring as she ran her hand across the roof's sparkling paint, "I might need another graduation present."

My jaw almost hit the pavement. Granted I had deduced that Alice and Edward's family was not average, anyone taking a look at Alice's wardrobe could figure that out. But a Porsche for a graduation present? After she already gotten something else? The extravagance was far more than I could ever get used to.

"Are you scared? I assure you that my driving skills are superb, with an automatic and a stick shift," the way her face turned devilish at the last two words made me roll my eyes as I opened the door and plopped myself into the smooth leather seat. "It'll be fun Bella! I promise."

Fun was not what I ended up calling it; death by Alice was more like it. Despite the bustling streets of Rome, she took turns at ridiculous speeds and weaved in and out of cars until we got to our destination. My hands hurt from where I was mangling the seatbelt strapped to my body, knuckles turning bone white as I tried to grip it tighter. I remember her tinkling laughter filling the car as she'd watch me cringe and squirm in my seat. I didn't even have the energy to scowl at her, all of my focus was tuned into trying to stay alive and praying the seatbelt would save me.

Now that I was back on solid ground, I was nauseous but thankful I'd lived through that reckless ordeal. It was oh so tempting to drop to my knees and kiss the pavement. I would happily walk anywhere; even drive my horribly old and slow truck, than go through another terrifying ride with Alice Cullen.

She had a smug smile on her face as we shopped around the Viale Marconi area. The store fronts were all filled with bright colors of summer clothing and banners advertising the current deals. We had resorted back to the weird silence that we'd had back in the hotel; her not wanting to push and me not wanting to speak. I watched as she'd flutter around each store, curious as to where she was going to fit all of these additional clothes in her luggage. I didn't say much, just tossed in my opinion here or there, most of which she ignored due to my obvious lack of fashion expertise.

My phone started ringing when we got to the third store and someone kept calling back every fifteen minutes until I finally had to put it on vibrate. Alice arched her eyebrow at me suspiciously over the rack of low cut tops clearly wanting to ask who I was avoiding. I knew it was one of my parents or Jacob, everyone else would give up trying to reach me after the second time I didn't answer. I intended to call them as soon as I could to tell them I'd go to UCLA, I just had to get away from Alice long enough to do it.

I scanned the rack in front of me for a top that wasn't totally out of the question, furrowing my eyebrows together at how difficult the task actually was. The downside of summer clothing in places where it actually gets warm is that there's barely any fabric covering your parts. In Forks I could hide under t-shirts and hoodies, in warm weather people expected me to wear less. Eventually I gave up hope and settled on grabbing the first thing I found in my size. I grabbed an orange top and turned to head to the fitting rooms.

"I'm going to go try this on okay?" I smiled at Alice, trying to make it more believable.

"Okay! Let me know when you're dressed and I'll come look!"

I walked back to the fitting room and closed the door behind me, hanging up my bag and the top that I had grabbed. Only now that I was alone did I take a good look at it and my face fell into a horrified expression. It was a halter top with two straps that tied around the neck and a deep V neck that would leave barely anything to the imagination. The pale tangerine color popped off of the white wall it hung on, daring me not to put it on. I realized that I had to actually try the garment on, if only to show Alice and make my façade look real. I jerked off my t-shirt and grabbed the halter from the hanger, throwing it over my head and pulled it down so it fit properly. The reflection in the mirror mocked me; the bright top looked like a creamsicle on top of my dark jeans.

I grabbed my phone from my purse and it vibrated in my hands as the alerts showed all of the missed calls and text messages. There were a few texts from Angela and Jessica, which I skimmed through quickly. My mom had called the most and a few calls from my dad's house where scattered in the list. I'm sure they had done some talking, and then decided to call me at the exact same time, battling it out as to who would get to me first. My mom had the benefit of knowing how to work speed dial on her cell phone.

The phone started to vibrate as someone was calling me, but the number wasn't one that I recognized. The area code was definitely from Forks, but who would be calling me that I didn't know? Fearing something had happened to my dad, I slid my finger across the screen to answer.

"Hello?" I whispered in the tiny stall, hoping my voice wouldn't carry.

"Bella! It's Jacob, don't hang up okay?" he said on the other end. His voice was so loud in comparison to mine I thought the whole shop could hear him talking.

"Listen Jacob, I really only have a few minutes to call my parents and I have to go. What do you need? More importantly, where are you calling from?"

"Is someone holding you hostage?" he laughed a booming laugh, "I got one of those cell phones you put minutes on so I can call you without having to use your house phone."

The click of heels coming into the fitting room area made me panic, I'd waited too long.

"Jacob I've got to go. Bye!" I whispered hurriedly and ended the call.

"Bella, are you okay in there? I never heard you call for me so I came to check on you," Alice called from the other side of the door, "Do you need another size?"

"No, I'm okay," I winced as I realized I sounded like a broken record with all of my 'I'm okay's.'

"Well are you dressed? At least let me see it!"

I cringed at the thought of someone seeing me in this horrible top, but I knew she wasn't going to let it go. I twisted the door knob and held the door open meekly, praying she wouldn't gasp in fear of my albino skin. She did the exact opposite of course, squealing in excitement and pushing her way into the tiny fitting stall telling me how great it looked on me. I realized I still had my phone in my hand and quickly tucked my arm behind me as I backed up towards the mirror on the wall.

"What's that?" she asked. Alice obviously didn't miss a thing.

"Nothing, um I mean, what are you talking about?"

"What's behind your back?"

I pretended to look over my shoulder then returned my gaze to her, "Nothing, why?"

She crossed her arms and tapped her toes on the flooring.

"I'm not stupid Bella, I know you're hiding something," her look of impatience made me nervous.

"Fine," I huffed and pulled my arm from behind me, "It's my cell phone. Happy now?"

"Why would you be hiding your cell phone from me?" her eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I don't know," now I was blushing.

"Is there something going on you don't want me to know about Bella? I think I've been pretty nice about caring for your feelings this whole time. I've tried to stay out of your business, but I'm not sure I can take someone blatantly lying to my face."

"It's just something I don't want to talk about," my eyes fell to the floor.

"Well you obviously want to talk about it with someone, it's a shame it's not someone that's here and is ready and willing to listen," Alice's voice tapered off before she exited the fitting room.

I felt like a wet blanket in that moment standing in the stall alone, still wearing the bright shirt. Here Alice was trying to treat me to a good time and get my mind off of things and I was ruining her favorite thing to do by hiding my conversations from her. No doubt it was affecting her mood, and after the incident a few short moments ago, it was a wonder she didn't react more harshly than she did. I had been so quiet and withdrawn all day, giving minimal answers when I absolutely had to and yet all she wanted was to help. I felt like I was such a horrible person in that moment alone, pushing away people that actually wanted to help me.

I shoved my phone back into my purse and pulled the halter over my head before hanging it back on the hanger. After tugging my t-shirt back on, I grabbed everything from the fitting room and headed for the register. Alice was grabbing her bags from the counter when I approached and put the creamsicle top on the counter. She eye balled me suspiciously as I paid for the horrible top and the cashier bagged it up for me. I offered Alice a smile as I snatched my bag from the counter and we walked towards the door. I was determined to make the rest of her day bearable with me, if that was even possible at this point.

****

The sea of bags on our suite's floor was double the amount of the bags that I'd had after my pre-graduation shopping trip with Angela and Jessica. I was stretched out on the massive bed resting my head in my hands as Alice unpacked them all one bag at a time. My two little tops had fit into my bag nice and quickly while Alice on the other hand had to stop at a store called Segue down the street to buy two new suitcases to carry her new clothes home in. She also had picked up a purple snakeskin purse along with a hot pink clutch that could burn your retinas out from across the street. I was glad it was already packed away, far from my tired eyes now.

She had cleared most of the bags from the floor when she reached the lingerie store bag. I removed a hand from under my chin, ready to slap it across my eyes when she pulled out some of her more risqué garments. After a few bra and panty sets that were decent, she had reached into the bag, pulling out a skimpy black and completely see-through corset and thong set. I covered my eyes quickly, listening to her chuckling at my prude behavior.

"Oh please Bella!" she laughed, "It's not like you've never considered buying one."

"I haven't," I said to the artificial darkness my hand was creating.

"Seriously?" she asked as she pried the fingers from my eyes, forcing me to look at the garment, "You've never worn one?"

"No, and I don't intend on starting tonight!"

"So what do you wear when you have sex?" Way to be blunt about it Alice….

"Ummm," my voice trembled at I started to pick at the comforter stitching.

"Bra and panties? An old raggedy sweat shirt? Come on Bella, I promise I won't laugh… hard."

"No, none of those things."

"Well come on! What is it then?" she bounced as she sat on the end of the bed.

"I haven't had sex," I mumbled, hoping she didn't hear me.

Her face went into complete shock as she stared at me. I buried my face into the comforter, letting my hair cover me to hide my embarrassment. I expected laughing, I had expected her to poke fun at me, but the silence that was filling the room didn't have any sense of amusement or pity. A few moments passed before I felt a hand on my shoulder attempting to roll me over so she could see my face.

"Bella I'm so sorry. I had just assumed that you had! The way Edward was going about the whole ordeal between you two I thought… Oh no! That's why you were so upset!" her voice got two decibels higher than normal in her epiphany.

I raised my head slightly as she flew off of the bed and grabbed the suite's phone across the room. She started speaking in what I could only imagine was Italian, telling someone on the other line to do something. The phone rocked back on the receiver as she put it down and came back to her seat on the bed.

"You and I are talking, whether you like it or not."

****

Interrogation by Alice was not as dreadful as I originally thought it was going to be. After her demands that we were going to talk, I asked if I could at least shower and get into something more comfortable and she happily obliged. The entire time I was in the shower I tried to come up with ways to skirt around the major issues. Figuring out ways to gloss over facts, hide some things but not others. It was confusing and giving me a migraine in the process.

Now that we were actually sitting here, Alice on the chase lounge and I curled up in the oversized chair, it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought it was going to be. In police interrogation, you were in whatever smelly clothes you'd been detained in for days, bound to a hard metal chair with a light in your face and the officer pacing around you for answers. Here, I was in my favorite plaid pajama pants and t shirt with my wet hair tied up in a sloppy bun. Alice had ordered room service to bring up a tray full of assorted berries with frozen yogurt and other small desserts. She had put in some various girly movies; right now Failure to Launch was playing in the background as we dove into our bowls and continued talking.

"So let me get this straight," she said as she dug her spoon into the pink mess in her bowl, "You've never had sex, you like my brother, there's a guy at home that's infatuated with you and he's also your first real kiss?"

I nodded my head as I pulled the spoon from my lips.

"Wow, that's rough," she observed and her eyes grew big, "So what did you do after he kissed you? You didn't want to go further?"

"Why are we focusing on Jacob? You're supposed to be helping me decode your brother," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but this Jacob guy sounds interesting. I see Edward all the time…"

"No, I didn't want to go further. I told him I'm going to NYU, well was going to NYU, and it just wouldn't work out."

"What happened that you're not going to NYU anymore?"

"Long story," I said trying to skirt around at least one topic.

"I have all night," she said and waved her spoon around in the air, signaling she had no where else to be.

I sighed in resignation, there was no easy way to tell her the entire story and not get emotional, so I let it all out at once in a blur. Everything from the phone call from my parents to Jacob telling me I should still go to NYU anyway down to the phone call that I had planned in the fitting room this afternoon. Alice was silent for a long moment, grabbing a berry or two from the cart and popping them into her mouth as she contemplated my story. After I had finally finished and started eating more frozen yogurt, she decided to speak.

"You should definitely listen to that kid; he's not as dumb as you think."

I could only look at her in confusion as she continued.

"He sees that you want to go to NYU, and when you told him that's where you were going, he accepted that. So now that your parents are trying to take away your dream, he's fighting for you while you're gone to keep your dream alive. While it looks like he's trying to push you to do something rash against your parents, he's fighting to keep you happy and maybe even to prove to you that he loves you."

My mouth gapped open in shock. I hadn't seen this before, and now from an outsider's perspective, it seemed a lot clearer.

"But," she interjected, "If you really don't want to pursue a relationship with him, the least you can do is thank him for sticking up for you as a friend. He needs to know that you still care about him and his feelings, even if it's just in a friendship way. Otherwise it really makes it look like he professed his love for you and you just left him there in the rain, in a round about movie scene kind of way," she added as she waved her spoon around again.

"I think I can do that," I mumbled.

"You should," she said freely, "I think you should also still go to NYU, but that's really up to you and your parents. It's your dream; I'm just really confused as to why they'd want to take that away from you."

I was hoping my silence was signaling that she would talk about something else. My greedy ears wanted to hear about someone else.

"And as for my brother…"

Yes! Now we were getting to the good part!

"I think it's best if you two try to be friends first before diving into anything more serious," she stated as she pushed the spoon of yogurt into her mouth, closing the advice she had for me.

I felt my heart sink a little in my chest. After the one night I'd had with Edward, how could I ever look at him as just a friend? As if she read my mind, Alice chimed in.

"It starts by talking to him. He's in room 66B right around the corner when you're feeling brave," she smiled and passed me a fresh bowl of frozen yogurt with berries on top.

I knew the bowl wasn't for me, mine had plenty still in it. This was my conversation piece, a shoe in from his sister and a way for us to get talking. I stood on shaking legs as I held the little glass bowl gingerly. The gold lip on the bowl was shining up at me, so I focused on its color as I made my way to the suite's doors and opened one to reveal the quiet hallway. The sign on the opposing wall pointed left for his room number, so I padded down the hallway in that direction.

My legs got shakier as I approached the massive double doors. How we hadn't crossed paths yet being as we were on the same floor was rather odd, but it wasn't what I was focusing on. I tore my eyes from the gold lip of the bowl to the wood of the door, taking in its elaborate structure, still too chicken to knock. After minutes seemed to pass, I decided to suck it up and just do it. That's what this bowl was given to me for.

I raised my hand and gently tapped my knuckles on the door, feeling that strange sense of déjà vu again. 'Did we always meet in doorways?' I began to ponder. The light sound of foot steps approached the door and I began to panic internally. I clutched the cold bowl with my fingers as the locks made noise behind the wooden door and the knob began to turn.

The warm light spilled out of the room into the hallway, framing my body in its yellow color. Edward's body moved to block out some of that light standing in the doorway staring at me in shock. His hair was in complete disarray and his eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn't slept for days. I could see the facial scruff clinging to his jaw where he hadn't shaved in awhile. His dark blue shirt was sort of wrinkled and his pajama pants hung from his hips loosely.

I was frozen as I stood in the yellow square of light in the hallway, almost as much as the bowl in my hands. I remembered it now and pushed it in his direction, my arms crossing the doorway into his room to present the peace offering. He smiled as we looked down to the pink melting goo in the bowl, topped with strawberries and blueberries and took it from my cold hands.

"Hi," I said timidly. It was all I managed to squeak out before he took my hand and pulled me into the room before shutting the door behind us.

* * *

**A/N: Happy days are here again! *dancing* I'm so glad to be semi done with crazy depressed Bella. I don't like thinking like that but it was necessary. **

**Alice = BFF. Love it.**

**Reviews are appreciated more than you know!**


	14. Chapter 14: Wrapped In Your Arms

**A/N: Thank you for all of the beautiful reviews & following my story. I appreciate so much it would probably take me another 5,000 words to tell you.**

**This chapter is going to seem redundant in the beginning, but I wanted to include the way that Edward spends his time after the airport since we only got to see Bella's POV last chapter.**

**I made a playlist for this chapter that you can download from my Live Journal. The link for it is in my author profile. **

**Thanks to druscilla831 for looking this over for me. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, SM does. But you knew that already… right?

* * *

**

**EPOV**

_Earlier that day…_

The silence of my hotel suite encroached upon me as I lay on the massive bed. I was alone, and normally I would be begging for this kind of thing, but not today. Today was different…today I wished that my sister was here and we had conjoined rooms. It would be so much more comforting to know that she was only a few steps away. It would be easier knowing both her and Bella may only be on the other side of the wall. That's if they were rooming together; I'd forgotten to ask for details in the heat of the moment. Today I had witnessed the damage I could do and the toll that my lack of apology was having on another human being. I couldn't get the image out of mind; her beautiful hair destroyed and the look of horror from seeing me before cowering away. It haunted me now as I lay motionless staring at the ceiling, trying to trace the swirling plaster patterns with my eyes.

I could only hope that my sister was playing the miracle worker wherever she was. When she texted me in the airport terminal with her plan to assist Bella, I wanted to protest. Hell, I wanted to run down the hallway and scream at her to let me handle this in my own way. There were only four little words stopping me, four little words that made me pick up all of those heavy bags and just leave the terminal fuming.

"Or you'll lose her," I said aloud in a detached tone. It sounded so loud for those brief moments it took to say it, filling the emptiness before fading again.

I had been in Italy for hours, wasting away hidden in these four walls while life went on around me. One of the chaperones had knocked shortly after I had collapsed to the mattress, coming to find me for the group event. I faked an illness to cover my misery and self loathing. Alice had a bellhop come to retrieve her luggage not too long after. I didn't bother asking what room the bags were heading to, I intended to give her all of the space she needed and wait for her instruction. She was better at these things than I.

Granted now that my thoughts were focusing on my sister, I still didn't understand why she had the desire to help. It wasn't like I deserved it or anything. I could only assume that it was mostly for Bella's benefit. Alice had inherited the maternal and caring traits from our mother.

As if on cue, my phone chimed on the mantel. I groaned at the first resemblances of motor function since I'd settled in this flat position. My spine cracked with the effort it took me to roll on my side, but the release of tension was delicious. The screen lit up and displayed Alice's name and quick note:

_Heading out to shop with B. I love you brother. :)_

My fingers flew across the qwerty keyboard in response:

_I love you to sister mine. Be safe._

It wasn't perfect, but at least we were keeping in touch.

Showering didn't ease the anxiety I still held for Bella's situation. I knew that she was hurting when I left her hotel room in Paris, but I hadn't expected the mess she had been in the airport. Was she anguished during her time away? Had I ruined her trip by merely keeping silent? There was no way to know what she was thinking or feeling without either calling Alice or talking to her directly. I stood at the bathroom counter for a long time, staring at the mirror without really seeing the reflection. I splashed water on my face mechanically in an attempt to snap out of it. I felt the course hair growing in as I dragged my palms across my jaw, evidence that something was bothering me immensely. I only let my appearance go for two reasons: the first being when I was ill and the second was only when I was really put off by something. It had to be something big however; Alice never let me get away with not shaving for long, even if those times were few and far between.

After unhooking the towel from my hips, I threw it over the glass stall door and padded into my suite's main room to throw on my lounging clothes. The Joe Boxer pajama pants were long enough to cover my feet and the shirt was a comfortable fit across my chest, perfect for doing absolutely nothing. My complete lack of motivation was foreign, and quite frankly frustrating. I didn't want to go out, but I also didn't want to sulk anymore either. Taking action and fixing the problem was the solution, but the four words chimed in my mind over and over again.

_Or you'll lose her._

I sighed in resignation as I took to my place again on the center of the bed, staring at the ceiling and running my hands through my damp hair.

****

The soft knocking sound at the door resonated through the stillness, jolting me out of my mind trip. I realized as I sat up and looked to the small clock on the mantel that it was later than I'd originally thought. I remembered cutting on the lights in the room only a little while ago. Had I really been out of it that long? Alice hadn't contacted me since she announced her shopping trip with Bella earlier today. I silently hoped she was dropping by to see how I was and to ease some of my worries. I dragged my hand through my hair as I pulled my stiff body from the mattress for the second time today. My nails lightly scratched my scalp; something else to take care of when I pulled through this funk. The soft cotton of my pajama pants brushed my legs as I trudged across the carpet to the door.

I fumbled with the locks on the door and turned the knob to open one of the heavy wooden doors, revealing the dimly lit hallway. My eyes tried to adjust from the light in my room to the semi darkness and failed miserably. I moved in an attempt to block some of the light, looking down at the source of the knocking.

I damn near lost my breath.

The wide eyes stared up at me with a mixture of fear and innocence. I watched as they flitted over my body quickly and then returned to my face. No doubt she was searching erratically for some sort of explanation to my haggard appearance. The questions regarding as to what she was doing here threatened to escape my lips. Was she okay? How did my sister fix this broken girl? Did she really even want to be here? All of the negative thoughts I'd been replaying over and over all day started to slowly vanish, only to be replaced with new and more hopeful ones.

Her tiny hands quivered as she thrust the bowl filled with pink slop and drowning berries into my doorway. The combination of a sweet dessert with fruit tipped me off to its original creator. Alice knew my love for fresh fruits and yogurt. The sentiment of having Bella bring this bowl to me was my clue in. Surely this was why Alice hadn't contacted me; she was busy working her magic charms on this girl, desperately in need of a friend. Sending her here was my sister's gift to me, to allow me another chance. I'd finally get to say all of the things I had intended to in Paris.

I couldn't help but smile as hope flared anew in my chest. The heat of it attempted to melt away the loathing I'd suffered through all day. A blush came to her cheeks just before she lowered her eyes to the bowl in her outstretched hands. I took it gingerly from her grasp, feeling the coldness of her flesh as I did so. Had she been holding this thing for hours?

"Hi," she finally spoke up shyly.

Without really thinking, I reacted. The weight of the bowl shifted from my left to my right hand and I hooked my thumb over the lip of it for extra support. Grabbing Bella's hand with mine, I pulled her into my suite, closing the door behind her with my elbow. It was now or never, and I wasn't letting my chance escape me this time.

**BPOV**

As the door clicked behind me, I couldn't help but stare at Edward's hand still holding mine. His skin was cold, already chilled by the bowl of melting frozen yogurt I had brought him. I looked up hesitantly to his angelic face only to find him staring back at me. The smile his lips had held in the doorway was replaced by a more intense gaze. Something was burning in those fiery emerald eyes of his, something I couldn't put my finger on until the electricity of his soft touch started to tingle across my flesh. I stared back at him, breathing through my mouth in little puffs as the air grew hotter. The memories of the inferno-like heat from our night in Paris tickled at my sub consciousness. Was this lust I was seeing? A longing for something more? In the few seconds that we stood at his hotel door, bound together by only by our palms, there was a sense of anticipation that wrapped its fingers around us. Neither of us moved, still staring at each other as we breathed in and out, almost in sync.

After what seemed like an eternity, Edward broke the silence first.

"Want to sit down?" he asked politely, withdrawing his hand from mine to grab the spoon's handle.

"Sssure," I stuttered out and followed him as we walked towards the couch on the other side of his suite.

I took in the room around me as I padded slowly behind him. His room was slightly smaller than Alice's and mine; only housing one bed instead of two. His suitcase was tossed haphazardly in a large chair similar to the one I'd sat in only moments ago. The bed was still made, but the covers looked distressed in the center as if he'd been laying there. Had I woken him up? It was hard to tell from his rough appearance.

We finally reached the small couch, facing a wall mounted TV and sat down. He took the cushion closest to the window, already finishing up the bowl's contents before setting it down empty on a side table. I plopped down on the opposite end uneasily. Quite frankly, I was nervous just to be in his presence, much less trying to form coherent thoughts and words to talk to him. The city lights shining in from the window behind him made him look ethereal. It wasn't really helping my brain function any better either.

"Remind me to thank Alice for the dessert," he said appreciatively, as he licked the remnants of yogurt from his bottom lip. I felt my breath hitch momentarily as he pulled his wicked tongue back into his mouth. "It was delicious, and I was rather famished."

"I can go get you some more," I stood a little too quickly. Maybe another pep talk with Alice would be good for me.

The flash of panic crossed his features and his hand touched my forearm lightly as he leaned forward across the couch. It was clear he did not want me to leave from his urgent tone.

"No," he said as he applied a light pressure to my arm, "I'm fine, I promise."

I eased back onto the couch cushion and he leaned back into his former position, still facing me but giving me space.

"How has my sister been?" he asked. _Oh here we go,_ I thought. "I assume you've been staying with her," he added with a smile and looked to the dessert bowl.

"She's good," I replied thinking of the shopping and his smile. I couldn't help but smile too, his was so infectious. "You haven't talked to her today?"

His face fell slightly with my question, "No, not since this morning." I winced visibly at the thought of the airport.

The room fell eerily silent again as we sat together; he was staring at me and I was remembering my reflection in the airport's bathroom mirror. A very large part of me wanted to run. I wasn't good at dealing with confrontation or talking about my feelings with others. Edward's presence only made it worse. I could picture his perfect eyes judging me, the look on his face while I explained myself; I would be completely mortified. Why had I ever agreed to come here to talk? I wasn't brave at all!

"Bella?" he questioned softly, "Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick."

_I just might be,_ I thought morosely.

"I'm really sorry you had to see me that way this morning," I paused drawing the thought together with an excuse, "I wasn't myself." I couldn't bear to turn and look at him, so I continued to stare at the berber carpeting.

"I didn't think so," he stated plainly, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. So I wasn't the only one that was uneasy about this. He took a deep breath and started again. "I want to tell you something, and I'm not sure if you'll want to accept it or not but I need to get it out there in the open. I'm…"

_Oh you have to be kidding me! That's why he's uncomfortable?_

"Wait! Wait! You don't have to tell me! Its okay if that's why you stopped!" I blurted out, and then clapped my hands over my mouth. Who wasn't feeling brave again? Oh right…me. I blushed furiously as I watched his brows arch in confusion. He didn't have to tell me he was gay if he didn't want to.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

I peeled my fingers from my lips. "It's okay if you…swing both ways," I said aloud and instantly regretted it. The look on his face was clear I had my signals crossed. _What an idiot you are Bella_.

"No, that is _not_ what I was going to say; At all."

"Sorry," I said quietly, putting on my most apologetic face.

"What I was going to say however was that I'm sorry," the words were rather blunt now. I'm sure they had lost their original intentions when I basically called him a homosexual.

"You're sorry?"

"For Paris," now it was his turn to be ashamed as he turned his piercing eyes to the floor. "I didn't mean for things to go that far, honestly. I wish I could tell you what made me act in such a deplorable manner, but I can't. I've been over it around and around and I can't come up with a good enough excuse as to why I hurt you." He grabbed at his t-shirt and scratched the fabric across his chest as he continued. "You don't know how much restraint it took to say no to you. I really thought I would give in and just do it, just take you right there. But something in my conscience told me no, that it wasn't right so I refrained. Little did I know that my methods of abstinence would cause you so much pain. I tried to come apologize, but by that point you were already gone," he sighed in defeat and fell silent again.

I could feel my jaw hanging slack and open on my face, but I was too stunned to pull it together. My whole impression that night was that he didn't _want_ me.

"I know," he continued after a short moment, "How terribly pathetic of me." He finished it off with a dark laugh and stood.

"No, it's not pathetic!" I protested, "It's just not what I was thinking that night, and it…surprised me. That's all."

He looked at me like I had three heads as he stood before me, still framed by the window's light.

"Please sit down," I asked nicely and he obeyed. "When you left that night…I thought I had done something wrong, something that made me so repulsive to make you want to leave." He shook his head no gently but didn't interrupt. "It was all so sudden and abrupt, from beginning to end. I really didn't know what to think other than to blame myself, so I did."

"Bella, the only thing you did wrong that night was to make me want you so much," I saw the fire flare up in his intense gaze which made my skin flush a shade of pink. "I just hope that you can forgive me for hurting you so badly. I didn't mean for it to scar you so emotionally that you couldn't be yourself. I trust that you feel better now that you've had time to deal with it?"

"You didn't scar me Edward," I told him sincerely. Yes, I was hurt over what happened that night. But now that the meanings behind the actions were clearer, it was hard to be angry at him. He was protecting me and doing what he thought in his mind was right. One could hardly be angry at him for it.

"I'm sorry, you just looked so devastated; more so this morning than that night," I cringed at his honesty. "I just couldn't help but to think that I had damaged you in some way."

He balled his hands into his hair and curved in on himself. I felt helpless on my side of the couch, and the guilt of seeming like a total bitch shivered up my spine. Edward was taking the burden for the both of us and it didn't have to be that way. Now as I sat here watching him, the tears began to pool in my eyes with shame. I had blamed myself and then turned that anger on him. He was innocent and so was I; this was all one huge misunderstanding.

I slid to his end of the couch as his shoulders began to quake in sobs and my tears spilled over. Wrapping my arms around him and pulling him to my chest, I cradled him as we cried together.

The minutes passed by slowly and his shoulders became still under my hands. I began peeling my arms from his large frame to give him the space that he needed. His hands unwound from his hair and clutched mine before I could move. I looked at his face as he lifted his head, bloodshot eyes staring back into mine.

"I'm so sorry Bella," he croaked in a dry voice as a last tear slipped down his cheek.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Edward. If anything, we should be sorry for each other," I smiled weakly at the irony of it all and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face.

"But I hurt you."

"No, you didn't," I tried to ease his fears, "Everything is fine now." The air hung around us, warm and tense from the emotions wafting off of us. "We shouldn't dwell in the past; the only question now is where we go from here."

**EPOV**

She was more of an angel than I could have ever asked for, taking me into her arms while I wept for my monstrosity. I watched her now with hollowed eyes as she wiped the drying tears from her cheeks. Bella had cried with me; the thought made my chest ache again, making me grab my shirt and rub it across my skin. It barely curbed the sensation. Bella had posed the point of where we go from here, and I truly had no idea. I suppose the logical thing to do would be to start back at the beginning, but how was that possible now after what we had been through? Would we ever be able to move past this?

She looked to me with hope that I had an answer and I was speechless. Her lips moved slightly and her tongue jutted out to moisten her lip before she spoke. I wanted to kiss her so fervently in that moment, if only to show her that it would be okay, but her words held me in my place.

"We should take this slow." The words were so forthright and honest that they took me by surprise. I could understand her position however. Our relationship, however fragile it was, had progressed from zero to sixty in just a matter of days. "Maybe we should get to know each other better?" she shrugged awkwardly, "Like friends or something."

_Ughh, _I thought. This was so uncomfortable and stiff.

"Sure," I replied and tried to smile. I'm sure that it looked like some lopsided, pasted on travesty.

She scooted back to the other side of the couch and threw her legs up in the middle to get comfortable. I lounged back, stretching my back from the crooked position I had cried in. I still couldn't believe I had cried in front of her. Why couldn't I reserve that for the hours I was alone this morning?

"So where did you group go after France?" her question broke into my thoughts abruptly.

"Belgium, but I didn't really do much while we were there."

"Was it boring or did you not feel well?"

"A little of both," I answered feebly.

Our conversation drifted back and forth, touching on everything from her time in Germany to my sister's antics shopping this afternoon. _A Porsche…really Alice?_ We decided on a movie as the conversation started to fade. She confessed that she wasn't ready to go back and face my sister's interrogation. I couldn't blame her; my sister could be a brutal at times. The small place on my back reminded me of that.

"Ooo!" she squealed and pointed to the screen as I flipped through the hotel's pay per view, "Can we watch Dumb and Dumber? That's one of my favorites." The smile on her face was priceless; how could I resist making her happy again?

I flipped on the movie and stretched out my arms across the back of the couch. Deep in thought before the first scene even hit the TV screen; I pondered the new bonds that Bella and I were forming. I could only hope that this plan would work. I don't think I could allow myself to hurt her again, even if she'd denied it in the end.

_Make it work Edward. Make it work._

My new mantra chanted on as Bella chuckled at my side.

**BPOV**

I woke to the sounds of soft chiming by my head and pulled my arm free of the covers to take a swipe at it. The correlation between where I had been the previous night and the bed covers clicked together, even in my hazy mind before my eyes flew open and I drew in a sharp gasp. The chiming was coming from a small ornamental clock on the mantel that held things that did not belong in my hotel room. The large, expensive men's watch glared back at me as it cozied up to a bottle of men's cologne. I could smell the faint scent of lilacs coming from the open cap resting on its side. As the chiming of the hour came to a close, another noise emerged to take its place. In that moment there was an innocent sound more terrifying than the steady growl of a rabid dog about to attack; it was snoring, and it was close.

I closed my eyes again, taking in a personal inventory as I silently cursed myself for possibly giving into my more wanton desires. The soft snoring continued behind me as I realized I was still clothed, my t shirt and pajama pants all shifted like I had slept in them. I wasn't sore as I shifted around silently under the fluffy white bed covers. I dared a chance at rolling over, expecting to find Edward drooling in his sleep on the pillow beside me.

When I rolled over and opened my eyes slowly, he wasn't resting beside me but was sitting in one of the oversized chairs he'd pulled up to the bedside, completely passed out. I covered my mouth as I stifled a giggle and began examining him unabashedly. His feet were propped up on the mattress like he was relaxing after a day's work with his arms draped over each armrest in complete disarray. The expanse on his long neck was visible as his head was hanging across the back of the chair, soft snoring coming from his open mouth. The position he was in looked ridiculous and completely uncomfortable, but somehow he was fine this way. I looked at the empty space that lay unoccupied next to me in the bed, instantly feeling guilty at how comfortable and well rested I felt. This was his bed and I was taking that comfort away from him. The feathered comforter started making ruffling noises as I pushed it off of me and got up out of the bed to head to the bathroom to wash the morning funk out of my mouth and brush my unruly hair.

When I returned a few minutes later looking much more presentable, Edward was sitting upright in the chair, trying to wake up as he looked at me with drooping eyelids.

"What are you doing awake at this ungodly hour?" he asked in a gruff voice, lazily wiping his eye with his hand. I hadn't neglected to notice it was only five-thirty in the morning.

"The clock woke me up," I said as I pointed to the clock on the mantel. "Your snoring didn't help either." I couldn't help but giggle now that he was awake, and it elicited a groan from him in return.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," he said to me after a few quiet moments, the corner of his mouth turning up in a languid grin.

"Well I hadn't expected to spend the night either. I'm sure your sister is wondering where I'm at."

"She'll get over it," he quipped.

"Just like you'll get into bed and get into a decent sleeping position," I said as I patted the pillow from where I stood next to the bed.

"You can have the bed, I'm fine here."

"It's not fair that I take your bed when I have a perfectly good one I can use down the hall," I laughed nervously as I began to pull my hair back into a sloppy bun.

The look in his eyes told me he wanted to protest, but he couldn't fight the sagging of his eyelids and it was betraying his side of the argument. I patted the pillow again softly, making little popping noises on the soft fabric as my hand signaled for him to just crawl in and get it over with. He rose from the chair and crawled slowly across the huge mattress in just a few movements. He stopped hesitantly in front of me instead of lying down like I had suggested. Even resting on his knees, he was still taller than me. His exasperated expression was more evident up close though; the bloodshot look was still there in his eyes, framed by his facial hair and parted lips. The t shirt he wore rose and fell on his chest as he breathed in and out in the quiet room.

I couldn't help but stare back into his eyes with pity as he looked at me. He had confessed his secrets to me the night before and now here he was, still wanting to give up his bed and tranquil sleep for me to feel more comfortable. Now that we had cleared the air, it was easier to see that his intentions were only in my best interests and to keep me happy. I wasn't sure that I could ever repay him for the amount of restraint and respect he afforded to me.

"Go to sleep Edward," I chided him again before turning to head to the door, "I'll see you later okay?"

I wasn't able to take a step before his hand shot out like a whip and grabbed my right wrist, his long fingers snaking around it in a tiny circle. I gasped in shock, gawking at him as he pulled me gently back to the bedside. I watched as his right hand rose up from his side, almost mechanically as he stared back at me with a crooked smile. His lazy gaze held mine as he reached behind my head and laced his fingers into the hair that was resting on the nape of my neck. The cool touch tickled and made me shiver in response which in turn made him chuckle. It was a delicious sound, coming up from his expansive chest and erupting through his lips before he fell silent again. I briefly wondered if he would kiss me as his fingers began to move in my hair and his longing emerald eyes trailed to my lips. We had agreed to move ahead slowly but had never really discussed what those boundaries were. Was kissing me his definition of slow? I realized that even with his hold on my wrist that I couldn't move, and even more striking was the fact that I wasn't sure that I wanted to.

After a few loud heartbeats, I felt my hair cascade around my shoulders and fall softly down my back. I didn't miss the relief that crossed his face or the lingering touch as he dragged his hand through the curtains of it and back to his side. His eyes returned to mine, slowly taking in my face as he looked up longingly from my lips. He clutched the thin elastic hair tie as he unwrapped his fingers gingerly from my wrist and held it up for me to see.

"Please…don't wear your hair up anymore," he pleaded softly and closed his eyes before he crashed to the mattress in exhaustion.

I could only smile at the sweetness of that moment, hearing his soft breathing and waiting as they turned into small snores. I reached for the comforter and pulled it over his long and relaxed form before leaving through the suite's massive double doors.

* * *

**A/N: Please review! I love reading every single one of them.**


	15. Chapter 15: Hot White Light

**A/N: Thank you for all of the great reviews/new followers/story & author alerts/recommendations on other sites. :)**

**Big love to druscilla831 that stays up late with me to beta and lets me cuss and discuss with her.**

**Edward's outfit from this chapter as well as my twitter info is listed in my profile. Follow me for updates and teasers. **

**Disclaimer: They aren't mine and they aren't yours, who's are they? Seriously though, they are Stephanie's, I just throw them in awkward situations.**

**

* * *

BPOV**

My key made the outside electronic lock beep in the quiet hallway as the small light turned green. The hinges let out a high pitched squeal inside the suite, crying out for a drop of grease as I cracked one of the massive doors to come in. I scowled at them with tired eyes as I pushed the door shut behind me. _Way to sneak in unnoticed Bella._

The early morning sun was filtering in through the curtains, casting its pink light on the room around me. The silence of the room mirrored that of the hallway, but it was to be expected, Alice would probably still be sleeping. She must have cleaned when I left since I wasn't tripping over anything in my quest for sleep. Yet I couldn't spot her mountain of luggage anywhere. The carpet was thick and lush under my toes as I padded over to my bed. As my knees touched the mattress's edge, I collapsed into its softness smiling. Edward was only a few rooms away sleeping in the same position.

Just as my eyes threatened to close, I looked over to Alice's bed noticing the lack of a sleeping form under the covers. The linens were untouched, looking as fresh as when we had arrived. My brows furrowed in confusion and I groaned when I realized that I'd have to get up to investigate. Maybe she had fallen asleep in one of the chairs? My back popped as I lifted myself from the pillowed haven and put my feet back on the floor.

"Alice?" I whispered, testing the room for her presence.

There was no reply, and no sign of her in the chairs or in the bathroom. I checked the closet and even opened our suite door to check the hallway again. Nothing, it was like she'd vanished. I started to panic at this point. _What do I do? Do I go get Edward?_ No, that was going to be my last resort being as he'd just started to get back to sleeping. I could figure this out, I just needed some time.

I quickly threw my suitcase on the bed and rummaged for some decent clothes to put on. After my jeans, t-shirt and flip flops were chaotically arranged on my frame, I snatched the door key and my phone from the bed and hauled ass to the elevator.

The lobby was nearly empty, housing only hotel workers that were up tidying the space for the day to come. My flip flops slapped against the marble floors with a fuss as I pushed my legs harder to get to the front desk. The staff turned to stare at me when my racket became silent.

"Can I help you Miss?" the front desk clerk asked in a thick Italian accent.

"Yes," I breathed heavily, struggling to catch my breath, "My room mate has gone missing, I think."

"You think?" he arched his eyebrow with the question.

"I'm not really sure," I confessed. I _really_ didn't know. I had just assumed that people just don't leave at 5:30 in the morning without a note.

"Name?" the question was short as his fingers poised on the keyboard.

"Bella Swan. I'm staying with Alice Cullen," I answered quickly and tried to remember my room number. The only one ringing in my head was Edward's at the moment like a chant over and over. _66B...66B...66B..._

"One moment."

His long fingers flew across the keys as he looked up mine and Alice's information. I noticed the tag on his coat with the hotel's name etched above his own, Demetri. His raven hair was full and long, coming down to his shoulders in waves. He looked back to me a few moments later and I noticed his eyes were an odd color, almost a reddish brown.

"She has not checked out of the room this morning. Was there any commotion this morning in your room? Did she not wake you before she may have left?"

I blushed at the questions, realizing that if there had been anything wrong, I wouldn't have been in the room to know about it.

"I wasn't in the room last night," I confessed aloud, "I was with her brother in room 66B."

The look he shot me made me feel even more embarrassed. No doubt he probably thought of me as some sort of floozy.

"I can have security return with you to your room and have a look if you'd like," he smiled. I imagine he was trying to be polite, but it came out more as a sneer.

"Yes, that would be great," I replied. If something was amiss, I surely did not want to return to that room alone.

Demetri wrapped his long olive toned fingers around the small radio on the counter and pushed in the button on the side. I made out the name Felix in the conversation and the word American, but the rest was in what I could only assume was Italian, which was being spoken at a rate I didn't know was possible. A few moments later, a man build like a Mack truck turned the corner, heading in our direction. I could feel my face pale; his sheer size was enough to induce fear in me. He stood at least six feet high with a tight muscle shirt stretching across his huge pectorals. I was surprised that the sleeves weren't ripping when he swung his bulky arms as he walked. The combat boots, dark sunglasses and short black hair cut only made him look more intimidating. No wonder he worked for security.

He pulled the thin shades from his face revealing those oddly colored eyes, just like Demetri's.

"Are you ready?" he stared down at me causing me to cower back into the counter a bit.

"Y…yes," I sputtered out.

Felix turned swiftly and headed back for the hallway with a large gait, entering the elevator before I was even half way there. I heard him huffing in the cabin as he slapped the closing door to keep it open with his massive hands. I shuffled my way inside, honestly terrified of him as I positioned myself in the opposite corner. The small space looked like a prison for him, being as he took up almost half of it the way he was standing; feet a shoulders width apart and arms tucked behind hid back in a military fashion. He had put his sunglasses back on even though we were inside and he said nothing as we rode back to my floor. The look on his face was menacing, even though he was emotionless. I heard the bell chime and the doors opened up to my hallway.

I didn't have to wait for him to exit in front of me; he was already out of the tiny space before I could process the thought to ask him to go first. I straggled along behind him, constantly looking over my shoulder in the direction of Edward's room. I really hoped that I didn't have to wake him up with horrible news. Felix had reached the door and was pulling his key card out of the lock. I stopped a few paces from the doorway, letting him go in and inspect things first.

"Miss?" he called out from inside the room.

I stepped through the doorway, momentarily blinded by the amount of sunlight coming in through the massive windows. Shielding my eyes, I looked to Felix, standing next to the mantel between the two beds staring at me behind his black shades. The down turn of his mouth looked like a ferocious slash on his face.

"Are you blind?" he all but shouted at me in a frustrated tone.

"No…"

"Then how did you miss this?!" As he got louder his accent came out in full force. I noticed the little pink scrap of paper he held between two fingers. It looked like a piece of trash in his massive hand.

I hesitated before I walked over to retrieve it from him. "Oh," I said for lack of anything better as I read Alice's note to me in her pretty writing. _Going out for a morning run, I'll be back soon! Alice._ I turned bright red in my embarrassment and couldn't meet Felix in the eyes. He didn't wait for my words or respond, just simply stalked out of my room, slamming the door behind him in anger. The squawking of his radio was quiet in comparison as he called back down to Demetri to report in. The word 'idiota' came out more than once from both ends of the conversation as he walked away. I could understand the annoyance, but this guy seemed far too irascible for something that was supposed to be his job.

I sighed as I clutched the pink note and sat on the edge of my bed, still covered with clothes. I wondered how Alice would know to leave me a note, knowing that I'd be back before her. Maybe she left it as just a precaution? There was no way I was getting back to sleep with the adrenaline and fear still flowing through my veins. My leg bounced uncontrollably as I wondered what I was going to do while I waited for Alice to return. I eyed the clothing over my shoulder; I suppose I could clean up that mess.

****

My clothes were in order again, everything neatly folded and tucked away for whenever I needed it. The bathroom was spotless, and both beds had been made twice; I spotted too many wrinkles after I had remade them both once. I sat in the oversized chair, staring at the screen of my iPhone as I played my tenth game of Tap Tap Revenge. I was becoming more irritated; I'd been losing badly trying to play Coldplay's Lovers in Japan on easy. Finally giving up, I exited back out to my front page, looking to see if I had any missed calls or voicemails. Thankfully there were none, but my battery was dying. _Great, just what I needed._

I started thinking about Angela while trying to figure out what to do next. It felt like it had been an eternity since I'd been sitting here, but my phone's screen only read eight in the morning. The sun was lighting up the room in full force now and Alice still had not shown back up from her run. What was Angela doing? I hadn't seen her since we'd arrived in Italy and Alice rescued me from the airport. Was it still too early to find her? I took the risk and shot her a quick text message, and one came back to me a few moments later.

_I'm awake; I just need to get dressed. What room are you in?_

_Shit_, I thought as I crawled out of the chair and limped to the door. The foot I'd been sitting on had fallen asleep. I nearly typed back 66B, but remembered where that would really send her.

The hinges screeched again as I cracked the door and looked at the plaque next to the frame; 69A, it read. I swiftly shut the door and sent the number over to Angela. I plugged in my phone to charge and soft knock came about fifteen minutes later.

"Who is it?" I called.

"It's Angela."

I opened the door to reveal the friend I felt like I hadn't seen in ages. I nearly tackled her with a hug in the doorway and she giggled at my excitement from her presence.

"I can't breathe Bella; you're holding me so tight!"

I let go of her quickly and moved so she could come in. "Sorry," I smiled sweetly.

"Wow," she said in a dazed tone as she looked around the suite, "talk about an upgrade…"

"Yeah, it's nice isn't it?"

"Why are you staying up here all alone?" she asked confused.

"I'm not alone, Alice is staying with me. She's just out right now," I wish I had some sign of luggage to point to other than my own, but she'd hidden it all rather well.

"Oh?" I couldn't decipher the look that crossed her face, "Well that's nice…" She trailed off as she looked out of the window.

"Are you okay Ang?" I asked hesitantly.

She turned towards me suddenly and I instantly knew the emotions she'd been holding back. They were shining clearly in her eyes now; anger and hurt.

"I should be asking you the same thing Bella. The last time I saw you, you looked like you'd been living on the streets and were totally catatonic," I cringed as she recounted my appearance, "And now, you're staying with a stranger in this extravagant suite without a word to any one of your friends. Didn't you think we'd be worried about you?"

I could see the tears brimming and spilling over onto her cheeks but I couldn't speak. I walked over to her standing at the window and wrapped my arms around her to try and tell her I was sorry. I'd never hurt her like this before and it pained me to see her like this. She gently pushed me away from her body and held my shoulders.

"I literally had a panic attack on the bus to the hotel because I thought we had left you behind. It wasn't until Mr. Banner came by my room to tell me you were okay that I calmed down."

"I'm so sorry Angela, I really am," it was all I could say as I stared at the floor, tears brimming in my own eyes.

"What happened to you Bella? Why are you staying with Alice?" her eyes were intent on mine as I looked back to her face.

I moved out of her grip and took my perch in the oversized chair I'd made all of my confessions to Alice in last night. Angela hesitated by the window until I turned to look at her.

"You can come sit down," I prompted, "It's a long story."

She took a seat on Alice's chase lounge and gave me her full attention. I realized that that I had to start back at the date with Edward in Paris and began my story from there. Unlike the conversation with Alice, I couldn't skim details. Not only did she not have the benefit of Edward's version as her brother, but she wanted to know everything that happened. The more details I gave her the better, she said. I skimmed over the dream ungracefully, simply stating that I'd been so upset that night that I'd had a nightmare and that's when she found me crying in my room.

Internally I realized that talking about that night wasn't a difficult as it was only a few short days ago. While I wasn't sure if I could be completely okay with the way things happened, I was glad to at least be talking about it fully without breaking down in tears. The only thing I could attribute to this change would be talking with Edward last night and us forgiving each other. The thought made me smile inside, we would work together to get through this.

The door lock beeped as I was about to start in on telling Angela about my phone call with my parents in Germany. The two of us turned as the hinges on the door squealed and the door clicked shut. Alice was covered in a light sheen of sweat, her headphones around her neck, dressed in a sports bra and the smallest pair of spandex shorts known to man. Next to her was a man dressed in biker shorts and a shirt that clung to his body like a second skin. He was tall and lanky but muscular and the laugh coming from his mouth was deep and hearty.

"Alice?" I called to her from the chair; I didn't think she realized I was here.

"Oh hi Bella, I thought you'd be back by now!" she said in her usual chipper tone and waved to Angela, "Ladies, I'd like for you to meet Jasper."

* * *

**EPOV**

Wretched sleep. It was all I knew from the time that I'd carried Bella from the couch to the bed and dozed off in the chair until she woke up. She was so peaceful cuddled up on the couch with me softly breathing in and out as she slept. I feared moving her, not wanting to wake her but it was becoming more necessary as my side started to ache. She was so light as I scooped her up and slid her under my covers. The war waged on within me as to if I should crawl in beside her, but I eventually decided against it. _We need to take this slow_ I chided myself and pulled up the chair to the edge of the bed. While the couch was a more viable option, I wanted to be as close as possible in case she freaked out later.

This morning, she had looked so cute with her tiny pajamas on coming out of my bathroom. Granted I was tired and sore, but I wasn't blind. She kept insisting I sleep in my own bed and she'd return to her own, but I honestly didn't want her to leave. She'd have to walk back down the hallway alone and crawl into another cold bed. So I resisted, hoping that I wasn't being too obvious that I craved her presence. Then my damn eyes and body betrayed me, crying out that I needed more sleep from the lack of rest the past few days.

I sat here in the quiet of my room now, twirling the elastic I'd pulled from Bella's hair around my fingertips. I fully intended to keep the annoying little hair tie, and I'd probably give Alice a good tongue lashing if she gave her another one to use. Why Bella insisted on wearing all of that gorgeous hair in such a sloppy fashion was maddening. It was like a living being all of its own, flowing down her back in mahogany waves and curls. When the light would catch it just right, it would shine like polished silk. It was magnificent, and she kept it hidden from the world in this little offensive piece of rubber and braided thread.

I remembered the look on her face as her hair fell down around her face. I couldn't help but stare at her mouth in that moment with my lips aching to touch hers. Those pouty lips were so soft and pliable under my own and the sweetness of them called to me. The memory of Paris threatened to resurface as I pushed myself back down through the duvet.

A knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts and I froze. What if Bella had forgotten something and had come back? I lifted the covers to see that predicament wasn't assuaging. _Damn Cullen, think of something quick! _I thought about grotesque things like vomit and car accidents but my attempts were futile. I kept going back to the thought that Bella might be at the door and what that might lead to.

Another hurried knock vibrated through the wood as I lumbered awkwardly to the door and flipped the interior locks. I cracked the door and tucked my body behind it in an attempt to hide myself from whoever came calling this early.

"Hello Edward," my pint sized sister grinned sheepishly from the hallway.

I cleared my throat before I spoke. "Hello Alice."

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" she pouted, "Or are you 'busy'?" she drew the air quotes with her fingers.

I realized then that with me hiding behind the door, it seemed as if I was naked.

"Hold on one second," I said before closing the door quickly. I readjusted myself with a little more ease now that my body had figured out it wasn't Bella outside. Turning the knob again, I pulled the door open fully to let her in. "Okay, I'm good now."

"Did you have to hide the body?" she giggled lightly.

"No," I laughed, "what on earth are you talking about?"

"I thought maybe Bella had stayed the night…"

"No, she went back to your room around 6," I couldn't tell by the look on her face if she was disappointed or relieved. I quickly glanced at her attire and my jaw about fell off of my face. "Here's a question," my brows furrowed in anger, "where the hell have _you _been?"

"Oh relax Edward, I went running this morning with Jasper like I do at home," she retorted.

_Jasper…_I hissed internally. He was started to get closer with my sister when they both made the varsity cross country and track team.

"Anyway," she cut in on my plans to scare him shitless, "I came by to tell you that the travel group has a trip planned for noon today, and since we've skipped so much we have to be there."

"Great," I sighed, "Where are we going?"

"The Colosseum," she smiled. History was one of her favorite subjects, particularly the Greco-Roman eras. I knew she'd force to me go with her, even if it meant dragging me the whole way.

"I suppose I can clear my schedule," I teased.

"You better," she walked towards me to give me a hug but I stopped her with an outstretched arm.

"Yikes Alice, you need a shower," I pinched my nose together mocking her which earned me a play punch in the arm.

"Fine then, we'll be back to get you around 11:30 okay?" she turned to leave.

"We?" I asked.

"Well I assume that you and Bella made up right?" her face got slightly concerned.

"For a second I was wondering if Jasper had body snatched my curious sister," I guffawed loudly.

"That's not funny," she retorted and tried to hold in a snicker.

"Yes, we are fine now…I think."

"Okay I'll see you later."

"No request for details?" This was totally unlike her.

The door was open when she turned back to look at me. "Don't worry; I'll get them all from Bella later. Love you!" she winked and closed the door behind her.

****

I paced the suite as I waited for 11:30 to arrive. I had been ready for a solid thirty minutes, even taking the time to press my Diesel shirt and jeans before putting them on. Running through a mental checklist in my head, I made sure I had my usual: _wallet, ID, room key…something was missing, watch_! I grabbed my TAG Heuer Grand Carrera from the night stand as I passed it again, glancing at the black face as I slid it on my wrist. It was definitely my favorite from my collection and probably the most expensive. My dad had bought it for me for my sixteenth birthday, as I had insisted I have one instead of a car. He ended up getting me both which was far more than any sixteen year old needed at the time.

The tapping came on the door right as the minute hand touched the six; even the mantel clock chimed in chorus to their arrival. I bounded to the door in two large strides and twisted the knob before opening the door to reveal Alice and Bella.

* * *

**BPOV**

I'm sure that my skin was turning a deep tomato red standing in front of Edward's curious eyes. Alice greeted him warmly with a hug and all I could do was offer a simple smile, fearing that if I opened my mouth to speak I would offend Alice. While I thought buying the creamsicle top was a great idea at the time, I couldn't believe that she _strongly_ suggested that I wear it today. Strongly was putting it lightly to be frank, she nearly shoved the thing on me and tied my hands behind my back. The white pants and flip flops she had paired it with only stood to make me look more like a popsicle than a human being.

"Hey Bella," he smiled in greeting as he shut the door behind him and we started walking towards the elevator.

"Hi," I offered timidly looking down. I noticed the watch from the mantel this morning on his wrist, and something peeking out from under it that was mine: my hair tie. I smiled inwardly that he was wearing it like a piece of jewelry.

Alice began talking about the Colosseum as we entered the elevator cabin. The fresh smell of Edward and his cologne washed over me in the tiny space causing me to grip the support bar before I melted into a puddle on the floor. Did he know that he was so tempting just by smell alone? I seriously doubted it.

"Do you plan on shaving that ferret off of your jaw line?" Alice paused in her historical facts of Roman history to poke fun of Edward. He sighed but was silent; I assumed this was an argument they'd had before. If my opinion mattered, I'd vote that he keep it. It made him look older and even more sexy than usual.

"OH really Bella?" Alice giggled in the corner as the doors opened to the lobby's hallway.

"Did I say that out loud?" I whispered to her as Edward walked ahead of us.

"Yes, you did," she snickered again and eyed her brother's back, "Will you be riding with us or with your friends?"

"I promised Angela earlier that I would ride with her today," I replied quickly. I honestly felt bad for skipping out on her yesterday, and then being interrupted before I could finish the explanation for my behavior wasn't helping.

"Okay," she saddened considerably, "I'll see you later then."

"Later!" I waved and went off to search for Angela.

****

"You could make it a little less obvious that you're staring at her tits there Mike," Jessica quipped across the aisle of the bus. Coming out of his stupor, Mike looked back to her face and swallowed hard.

"I wasn't staring at her tits Jess," he lied, eyes drifting back to my chest, "I was admiring her…necklace."

"Wow, that's pathetic, even for you," she huffed as she crossed her arms.

The odd looks I received getting on the bus to head to the Colosseum were causing conversation now. At home I hid myself under jackets and long sleeved shirts. Now my albino skin was out for the world to see; including and not limited to my breasts. Boys were gawking and girls were sneering, except for maybe Angela and Ben who were sitting beside me.

"Anyway," I said aloud as I turned my eyes back to Angela's face, "so that's where I stand with my parents." I had been explaining as much as I could without breaking down in the tiny space and in front of all of these people. Granted, I had already made a fool of myself once, but I was sure if I decided to cry again now, it would be a much bigger production with all of the attention from my outfit.

The bus pulled to a stop and I was ready to be back out in the open air. The tense feelings between Angela and I were still there, on the bus I had done most of the talking, I still think I had not fully made up for my mistakes. We all filed off the bus and collected together outside while we waited for the second bus to unload. I pulled Angela by the elbow away from the rest of the group.

"Ang, I'm really sorry for what I did to you. I'm sure I completely ruined your trip, and I seriously did not mean for you to worry about me so much," I apologized and watched her face.

"Bella," she started and then paused, "I'm just sorry that you felt like you couldn't talk to me about something like that. That you had to turn to a complete stranger to let it all out…I'm your best friend. It's what I'm here for you know, to listen when you have problems and be your shoulder to cry on. I know you can't handle it all by yourself and I've seen you cry before. But nothing has ever scared me like the state you've been in Bella, _nothing_."

I was speechless. The feelings of guilt and regret poured out of my chest and onto the pavement in between us. Here Angela was telling me to my face that I'd violated the relationship between us, but she was still ready and willing to listen to all of my issues and take the brunt of my emotions to console me. She truly was the best possible friend a person could have. I gripped her tightly and slammed her tiny body into mine in the fiercest hug possible. I'm sure the shock on her face was evident before she realized what was going on and wrapped her arms around me.

"I love you Angela," my lip quivered as I fought off the tears, "I mean that in the strongest way possible."

"I love you too Bella," her voice shaking as she stroked my back.

Pulling away from her embrace, I held the sides of her arms as I stared into her face, "I promise I'll never do that to you again, I swear it."

"Good," she said as she blotted the moisture from her eyes, "I don't think I can handle another panic attack like that one."

I hugged her again quickly and took her hand in mine as one of the travel guides called for our attention. Alice waved to me from across the crowd of students with Edward at her side. I offered them a small wave and a smile before turning back to the guide that was splitting us off into smaller groups.

****

The tour wound through different levels of the building and we had finally reached the modern balcony that over looked where the pit used to be. While half of the flooring and its dirt was gone, the cages and walls below still remained; hallowed vestiges of the violence and entertainment they once held.

"As you can see," the tour guide spoke to our group, "the hypogeum below us housed warriors preparing for battle as well as live animals ranging from large cats to elephants…"

I tried to block out the part where she described in detail the events of a Roman fight; so much unnecessary bloodshed for nothing. It wasn't like I hadn't read these chapters in History class about the ancient Roman Empire, but to hear it all again was not something I needed. I'd already bared that burden once before. I started poking my finger into the skin on my arm as she droned on and on, watching as the red tint I'd acquired would fade to white momentarily before turning red again. _Smart move Alice, _I thought morosely. She didn't think about how pale I was before suggesting this top. I'm sure I looked like a lobster drowning in Orange-Glo and white out.

A soft whistle from my right knocked me out of my little daydream and I squinted as I looked for its source in the blinding sun. The light was shattering off of his bronze hair even more than it was in the airport yesterday morning. His smile peeked out at me from the scruff that lined his face which made me smile at him in return. I watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, fingers flying across the screen before he tucked it back into his pocket. My phone chimed in my bag shortly after. Rummaging through my stuff, I finally found it chiming away at the bottom of the bag.

_That shirt looks nice on you, stop worrying about it,_ the text read under a private number label. _Damn you Alice¸_ I thought to myself as I turned back to see him texting away again before my phone chimed and vibrated in my hands.

_Blame Alice. :) My number is (312)322-0011. _

_I already owe her for making me wear this out in public, what's one more thing to add to the list, _I replied once I added his number to my contacts.

_She also told me to tell you tonight is movie night in your room. Starts 8 sharp._

_Ugh. Do I have to?_

_She's ordering more frozen yogurt…_

_Will you be there?_

_Of course. :) By the way…_he trailed off even in texts and I stifled a giggle.

_Yes? Any other demands?_

"No, but your group moved five minutes ago," he chuckled in my ear as he snuck up behind me and pointed off into the direction I should take off running in.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was so fun/cute to write, and I loved throwing in the random extras. Demetri and Felix make me laugh so hard and _OH SNAP!_ Jasper has arrived! I know two girls that will be extremely happy about that. ;)**

**If you call that phone number, you are a serious creepster.**

**I'm in love with scruffy Rob, so I made my Edward furry faced. You might have noticed on the wallpaper I made? Who here loves it? *raises both hands high***

**I don't know how much a TAG Heuer costs, but I know that E was one spoiled shit to get a car and that watch for his 16th birthday. **

**EDIT: Just to clarify, Jasper is the only a year older than Alice & Edward, but he graduated with them instead of before them like the books. So in this fanfic, he's on his senior trip with his school. Hope that clears that up for anyone that was confused. :)**

**Review pretty please with frozen yogurt and blueberries on top. :D**


	16. Chapter 16: Speak My Kind of Language

**Author's Note: I'm sorry that this took so incredibly long to be written, but to make up for it, I have an outtake that will be put up later this week that you DO NOT want to miss. Trust Me.**

**Thanks to druscilla831 for beta'n this for me.**

**There are outfits that are linked in my profile that are in this chapter.**

**Also, and this is very important, I HIGHLY recommend you read this chapter once through before trying to figure out the foreign language portions. I've translated the few sentences that are in other languages in the bottom A/N, but you probably don't want to spoil the ending before you read the rest of the chapter. Just be patient and read it at the end, it's worth it. ;)**

**You can get official teasers and updates on this fan fiction from me on Twitter[dot]com/bonvoyage_ff**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the places they go. I also don't live in Europe or speak foreign languages. Google translator is my BFF :)**

* * *

**BPOV**

I sat on my bed, twirling the tiny keychain I'd purchased around my fingertip. It was the only souvenir I would have from the Colosseum since I had forgotten to take my camera in the entire bustle of getting ready this morning. The bronze little casting swung around and around as I stared at the clock on the mantel; 6:45…Alice should have been back with my aloe by now. My skin was blazing from the sun exposure this afternoon. I scowled as I thought about the halter top I was still wearing. I wanted to shove it deep into my luggage when I had returned to my room. Sure, Edward thought it looked nice on me, but what good was looking nice when the hot summer sun would cook me to the color of a lobster?

The last rays of the Italian sunset trickled through the curtains, turning the white linens around me pale pinks and oranges. I thought about the array of colors in Edward's hair when the sunlight would cast itself into the tangles on his head. It looked like a golden fire, burning and shifting in the breeze this afternoon on the balcony over the pit. As he moved, it turned into a separate living entity, catching light and reflecting it in its shine. I remembered the slight brush of him at my back, his fingertips on my shoulder as he turned me towards my tour group. He smelled like liquid sunshine and even in this room I imagined could catch small whiffs of his scent. Even though his whiskers were short, they had tickled my ear when he whispered to me my error for texting him too long.

My phone sat only inches away from my leg on the bed, the black screen calling out to me like a siren's song on the sea. I hadn't seen him since I went off looking for my group and the feeling of absence was evident in the air around me. I missed the little smirk that he wore when he found something funny. I missed seeing his eyes light up with humor, the little green and gold flecks as they danced with delight. It would be all too easy to contact him now, to text or call him for some sort of connection. The only thing holding me back was that damn agreement. _Take it slow._ I cursed out loud for being so foolish. How could I ever think I'd be able to resist someone like him?

I'd have to learn to dance this fine line between lusting after him and friendship. It was obvious that diving in head first wasn't something I could handle properly. My total lack of experience with boys in general had gotten me into some awkward situations with Edward. But what if that's what first love was supposed to be like? Awkward, interesting and ever changing with each moment you spend together. It sounded turbulent and terrifying at how much was uncertain and unplanned. I could handle things better when there was a plan laid out and that plan was followed to the letter.

The giggle from the other side of the door alerted me of Alice's return and I huffed at the length of her trip. Here I was contemplating the meanings of love in her absence and I'd never really been 'in love'.

"Hey Bella, I got you some aloe and some sunscreen for future use," she said as she tossed me a bottle of green gel. I missed catching it as it smacked against my knee. "You were supposed to catch that!" She laughed and sat the other bottle down on the table.

"Oops," I said meekly, rubbing the sore place where the bottle had hit. The bottle's logo glared up at me from its position on the bed, the words 'aloe vera' screaming out the potential for relief from this burning on my back.

"Do you need help putting it on?"

"Yes," I replied and grabbed the bottle as she bounced across the bed. I flipped my hair around and went to put it up in a bun so it would be out of the way. Habitually dragging my finger across my wrist where my hair tie usually rested, all I felt was skin. "Damn it Edward!" I cursed aloud.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't put my hair up. Your brother stole my hair tie." I was fuming slightly.

Alice chuckled behind me and pushed the mass of hair over my shoulder. I squealed when the cold gel hit my skin, which only caused her to laugh harder at me. The mess was cold and stung slightly before it brought relief. The smell was quite horrible, causing me to crinkle my nose as she rubbed it over my shoulders with a gentle pressure.

"Feel any better?" she questioned.

"Sort of," I replied and looked to the window again. "Edward said we are having a movie night tonight?"

"Yes!" Her voice went up in octave with her excitement. "It will be fabulous. I'm ordering in snacks and desserts and it's a pajama party too." I couldn't see the look on her face, but I'm sure that it was positively devilish.

"Does this mean you're inviting someone else over? I was under the impression it would be just you, myself and Edward."

"Now where is the fun in that!" she exclaimed like the idea was unimaginable. "I invited Edward and Jasper, and you're more than welcome to invite people if you want. The more the merrier I always say," she said bouncing a little on the mattress as she capped the bottle of aloe.

I let go of my hair and sighed as it brushed the now cooled skin of my back. "I'll call Angela and Jessica in a few minutes I suppose," I announced to her, turning to face her on the bed. "They will probably want to bring Ben and Mike."

"OoOoOo…" her eyes got wide as her mouth puckered around the O's "…a couple's party!"

I cleared my throat before I corrected her. Edward and I were not a couple.

"Not yet anyway." She winked and hopped off the bed towards the bathroom.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone from the fluffy embrace of the duvet. Angela picked up after the second ring and agreed to come up around 8:15 with Ben in tow. Jessica wasn't as pleased to hear from me, and I could tell from the tone in her voice. The excuse she used fell flat quickly after I ended the call; something about going out with Mike tonight, away from all of the 'distractions' in the hotel. She couldn't really be angry with me about the shirt incident on the bus could she? It was Mike Newton for crying out loud! She couldn't really be surprised could she?

I needed a shower; the stench of the hot day clung to my skin and was now bonding itself to the aloe Alice had just applied. She emerged from the bathroom moments later, toweling off her hands and naming off various desserts to herself.

"I think I'm going to hop in the shower. Do I have enough time before everyone gets here?" I asked quickly.

"I suppose so," she sighed. "It's not going to give me much time to fix your hair and makeup again."

"It's a pajama party Alice, not the Oscars."

"Your point being?" She questioned me sarcastically and poised herself in the chair next to the phone.

I laughed at her constant need to play dress up while I listened to her rattle off in Italian to the order in service. I grabbed my bag of necessities, a cami and some pj pants before escaping to the bathroom for some much needed shower time.

****

I emerged from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later only to find the room in complete disarray. Both duvets were stripped from the bed and all of the pillows were gone. The couch and chaise lounge were turned, forming a haphazard semi circle around what I could only describe as a nest of white linens on the floor. All of the thick curtains had been pulled shut tightly over the sheer ones blocking out any traces of the city light. Alice was perched on her bed, dressed in what I would consider scraps of fabric for pajama shorts and a tank top. Her leg was pulled up close to her face and only now did I realize she was painting her toenails.

"Do you really qualify those as pajamas?" I arched an eyebrow at her as I shoved my dirty clothes in my spare bag.

"I could have worn my lingerie, but I highly doubt my brother would approve," she replied without looking up.

"I guess I'm ready." I huffed and looked down at my attire. I'd neglected to put on a bra under my cami since it had a shelf bra; I just hoped that was enough.

"Okay!" She glanced at the clock briefly before applying the last layer of clear coat. "Can you grab my makeup bag for me? It's in the bathroom."

"Sure."

I walked back into the bathroom in search of a bag I'd never seen before. I knew that Alice kept all of her makeup all over the counter, but I'd neglected to really pay attention to it after the first night I was here with her. I was greeted with a clean countertop and even took note that our toothbrushes were missing.

"Alice!" I called out to her.

"Third drawer on the right!" she called back to me before I could even ask the question.

I pulled out the drawer and grabbed the heavy, shiny gold makeup bag before heading back out to Alice. She was holding the door open for two members of the hotel staff wheeling in carts of food.

"Grazie!" she chirped at them sweetly as they left.

"Il mio piacere," they replied in unison, eyeing her legs as they left the room.

"Do you see what I mean?" I waited until Alice had shut the door completely, referring to their obvious stares.

"That's kind of the point, I like the attention," she giggled.

Suddenly, the pieces all clicked together. The short shorts were not for the random hotel boys after all. "Unless of course you're going for someone else's attention all together." I watched as her face got serious.

"You _can not_ tell Edward. I mean it Bella, I know what you are thinking and you must not tell him."

And here I thought I was too dense to figure things out. "He doesn't know?" I prodded. "I figured it would be much more obvious to him than me."

"My brother knows what I let him know," she winked. "Even Jasper doesn't know, well, not yet anyway."

**

* * *

EPOV**

The clock chimed out the hour on my mantel while I slipped on my socks. I didn't bother with shoes, they wouldn't be necessary with all of the lounging I'd be doing in just a few minutes. I could commend Alice on that part, her movie parties usually only involved pajamas which didn't require much prep work for me. Just pants, a shirt and some socks; the rest was all me and my disjointed hair.

Grabbing my room key and tucking it into my pocket, I made my way towards room 69A where my sister and Bella awaited. I wasn't really sure what Alice had planned and she wasn't exactly being forthcoming with the details. I did know that there were scary movies involved, which would prove to be interesting to say the least. I reached the doorway knocking lightly and listening to the laughter on the other side. I could make out Alice's bubbly sounds and Bella's soft chuckle but there were more voices in the room. A deep booming voice with an accent thundered over all of them as well as another girl and boy joining in the chorus.

I heard the locks move before the door cracked and the tiny green eye peeked out into the hallway. After Alice realized it was me, she flung the door open and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Edward, I'm so glad you could make it!" she said as she unlatched herself from me.

"Where else was I going to go?" I asked, taking in her lack of proper pajamas.

I looked around the room to notice the multiple faces that were watching our exchange. Bella was on the couch, cuddled up to a dark haired girl. Another boy sat at this stranger's side, holding hands with her as he stared at me. The source of the thundering voice was standing in the center of the room, grinning from ear to ear; Jasper Hale.

"I didn't know we were making this into a full on party Alice." I tried to keep my voice level. While I didn't mind the company, I didn't exactly like the thought of my sister prancing around in front of multiple guys in her current outfit.

"Oh please Edward, you know how much I love a party. I can't resist when the opportunity presents itself!" She let go of my hand and walked towards the grouping of seats where the rest of the company sat. I didn't miss the pile of sheets on the floor. Who would be _sitting_ there I wonder?

"Edward." Bella broke me from my thoughts suddenly with her voice. "This is Angela and her boyfriend Ben," she said as she pointed to each of them. "I think you already know Jasper."

"Indeed." It's hard not to know the guy when you've checked his background; athlete, average student, likes to run with your sister in the mornings. I was starting to resent the last bullet point now…

"Who's ready to eat?" Alice said aloud, breaking the building tension in the room. At least there was tension from my end of things.

The boy, Ben, stood up from the couch and took Angela's hand to help her up from the cushioned embrace of the couch for some snacks. Bella sat alone on the end briefly before Jasper reached out his hand to help her up as well. Something in me snarled to life, but I beat it back down before it built up into a true force to be reckoned with. She wasn't mine and we were just friends; almost strangers if I was being honest with myself. But there was something about her, something that made me want to protect her this way even if another man's gesture was purely innocent.

The spread that Alice had ordered was highly excessive and I doubted that even the six of us could eat it all in just a few short hours. I glanced at her now, standing near the end of the table, beaming like the little ray of party planning sunshine that she is. This was her element, and while normally I could chide her at home for going so out of the box, there was no need to ruin her fun in front of company. I grabbed a bowl similar to the one from the night before and scooped the white frozen yogurt from the cold serving dish.

"I asked Alice to get vanilla since we had strawberry last night," Bella whispered over her shoulder. She offered me a small smile, almost as if she was apologizing for the flavor.

"I'm sure it's just as delicious as before."

She turned back around to follow the line down the rest of the table, adding little bits of fruit and chocolate to her plate before heading back to her seat. Jasper and Alice were on the chaise lounge while Bella, Ben and Angela all huddled on the couch. This left me no choice but to take the floor or more precisely the mock bed that Alice had arranged. I huffed as I lowered myself into the fluffy pit with my bowl. She could have at least pulled another chair over. I smashed the berries and granola into the white yogurt with my spoon, not really paying attention to much around me. I heard the TV cut on as well as the low chatter of conversation around me. I had finally gotten the mixture turned into a pink slop like I'd been given the night before when someone dimmed the lights and the music started.

_The Shining…really Alice?_

I ate my melting frozen yogurt in silence while the movie played out on screen. I'd seen this film at least a few hundred times, mainly because it scared Alice to death though she'd never admit it. She always required that I watch it with her, and that I was not allowed to leave her alone afterwards. You'd think after the first ten times of trying to face your worst fear you'd just give up.

My eyes flickered briefly from the screen to where she was positioned on the chaise lounge. Her bowl, as well as Jasper's had been cast aside to the floor and the two of them where cuddling close to one another. I figured it impossible for two people to fit on a chaise, but they managed it. She curled her tiny body into his chest and watched the screen together; him with a look of humor while her eyes were wide with the same childlike fear of the next scene. I watched as he moved his arm to wrap it around her shuddering frame for comfort. I felt the overwhelming feeling to rip the fucker off of his body. It was bad enough that she was dressed in so little, but to have him touch my sister in front of me would cross the line.

The pressure on the duvet next to me snapped me out of my fury briefly and I whipped my head around to see who was invading my personal space. I was met with chocolate eyes, the light of the screen reflecting off of them as she stared back at me. They were surprisingly calming, despite the images of Jack Nicholson going insane dancing across the shiny surface of her eyes. Her lips parted slowly, and I watched them begin to form words even though I couldn't hear her over the movie. Leaning in, I dared myself to kiss her, but thought better of it and offered her my ear.

"Do you want to go for a walk? I really hate scary movies," she whispered to me.

I only nodded, fearful that if I made a noise I'd ruin the movie for everyone. Bella raised her body up from the floor and I followed her to the cart for the dishes.

"I'll just be a minute," she whispered again. "I need to change and let Angela know I'm leaving. Do you want me to meet you at your room?"

"Sure, I'll be there."

"Okay." She smiled in the darkness and padded off into the bathroom.

I headed for the door, averting my gaze from the rest of the group to avoid snapping emotionally and ripping Jasper to shreds. I'd gotten all of the locks undone as the room fell silent; causing the door knob squeal to be even louder than I thought was possible. I turned to face the direction I came, laughing inwardly at the image of Jack's face frozen on the screen.

"And where do you think_ you're_ going?" Alice stood from the chaise lounge, remote in her hand as she brought it to her hip.

"I'm going to change," I informed her curtly. "Bella wants to go for a walk, she doesn't like scary movies."

"Well I can change it!" Alice squealed as she turned to fumble with the remote in the dark, rewinding and then fast forwarding through the movie instead of stopping it.

"Its fine Alice," Bella soothed her as she emerged from the bathroom. "You enjoy your movie. I just want to get some fresh air." I could see her smiling, trying to show my sister that it was indeed okay.

"But it's so rude of me as a hostess!"

"Its fine," I said, grinding my teeth together. I hated when she pouted. I looked to Jasper for some sort of assistance in reassuring her, even if I despised the fact he was touching her at all.

"Alice," he called to her with his Southern accent. "Come on and sit down, we can just finish the movie with Angela and Ben."

_Great, make us look like the bad guys._

She sighed in resignation and lowered herself back onto the chaise lounge with him. I turned before she got comfortable against him again, looking in Bella's direction with a tense smile before I opened the door and left the room.

**

* * *

BPOV**

I could see the tension rolling off of him in waves, choking out the relaxed feeling in the room even if no one else noticed it. While he eyed Alice from his spot on the floor, I watched him, waiting for the moment he would pounce on the love birds on the chaise lounge. That's the moment I decided to lie, if only to keep him from killing Jasper.

_I really hate scary movies._

The truth was I had seen The Shining before so it didn't really bother me. Jessica dared me to watch it alone in the dark about two summers ago.

I was glad that I pulled Edward off the scent of the hunt. Well, that was until Alice decided to get fussy about us leaving. I'm sure that I would hear about it before I left the room, or maybe she would wait and build up her tongue lashing for tomorrow morning. At the moment, her fury didn't matter; I had to get ready to head out.

I turned on a small lamp near my bed and threw my suitcase on the nearly bare mattress to retrieve my clothes. The day had been hot, so I could only imagine the night would be warm as well. I grabbed my bra and a change of panties, some jean shorts and a flowing yellow top before closing the lid and cutting off the lamp. The screams from the television followed me as I walked back to the bathroom to change.

I stripped quickly from my pajamas and threw them in a pile in the corner to pick up later. My mismatched panties and bra went on first and I tried not to laugh at the ridiculous reflection in the mirror. My skin was still pink and the white bra looked like white out was poured over my skin. I pulled the shorts up my legs and checked quickly to make sure I didn't have stubble on my legs; nope, still smooth. The soft fabric of my shirt was divine as is slid over my head. I smoothed it out over my stomach, eyeing the little rabbit pattern under my hands. My hair and make up were already done, but were plain in comparison to what Alice normally gussied me up with. I had convinced her to just dry the mass of hair instead of taking the time to style it, which after much debate she finally agreed. The soft waves framed my face nicely. The makeup Alice had chosen complimented my brown eyes and hair and was also suited for this outfit, not that I really knew any better.

Snatching up the pile of sleeping clothes, I attempted to sneak back over to my bed unnoticed. Thankfully Alice was too busy cringing into Jasper's chest to notice my outfit choice. Quickly turning on my bedside lamp once more, I grabbed some flip flops and a necklace before shoving my other clothes inside. All that was left was my purse, which was tucked beside my lamp, and I was out of there.

****

The night air was warm and humid, making me feel over dressed despite my thin clothing for our impromptu outing. My flip flops slapped against the concrete sidewalk providing background noise to the light conversation mixing between us. I noticed for the first time that Edward was wearing shorts. It was surprising, though I wasn't sure why. His face and arms were clinging to a fraction of a tan while his legs were pale, but the light coating of body hair seemed to balance everything out. We hadn't decided on a real destination since leaving the hotel even though time was against us. Both groups had to be accounted for by six in the morning so we could catch our flight to Athens by eight. I glanced at my phone as Edward went on talking about his graduation party back in Chicago; it was already half past eleven.

"Stai a sentire?"

I jerked my gaze towards him so fast I felt like I'd given myself whiplash. "Did you just cuss at me?" I was honestly clueless as to what he'd really said.

"Guess you'll never know," he smiled playfully, pushing me lightly in the arm with his fist. I stumbled as a result, but recovered quickly. Any harder and I would have been eating cobblestones.

My clumsiness drew laughter out of his mouth and it was hard not to laugh with him. While most of my friends at home poked fun at my lack of healthy foot function, I normally scowled inwardly at their amusement. This however was different, though I wasn't sure if it was due to the fact I hadn't actually fallen, or if it was the person that was laughing at me.

"For that, you should tell me what you said." I tried not to laugh with him as my face broke out in a smile.

He stopped laughing heartily, letting it fade into a chuckle while he wiped tiny tears from his eyes. His eyes finally cleared and he looked at me smiling wide. "Oh Bella, si mettono tanta felicità per me."

"Stop it!" I wailed and popped his arm lightly with a punch. My hand kind of stung afterwards, even though I barely touched him.

"Why?" he snickered and began to walk again. "It's so much fun watching you be confused."

So that's how he wanted to play then?

"¿Dónde está el baño más cercano?" I hurled the sentence at him. It was one of the few things I'd learned in my all too brief encounters with Spanish one and two.

"El baño es por la calle en la tienda más cercana, aunque me temo que está fuera de servicio de la señorita," he shot back quickly. He knew he had me when my face went into a look of complete confusion and I was silent. This caused him to smile impossibly wider.

"Okay I give up!" I threw my arms up in the air in defeat. There was clearly no winning in a battle of the brains with him. "How many languages _do_ you know?"

"I know five fluently." He started rattling them off before I could ask specifics, "Spanish, French, Italian, German and Greek. The other four I only know bits and pieces of from Alice because she likes to use them when she's angry. It's all her fault you know? My mother would have never insisted I learn any language at all until Alice decided to learn a second language in the fifth grade." His lip turned up at the corner when he spoke of his sister.

"Wow, that's… amazing." _Note to self, if I ever have a foreign language paper in the future…_

"She'll cuss at me in Russian during her tantrums, which looks rather humorous coming out of her tiny body with all of that gusto dialect, but it forced me to learn some of it; the curse words anyways."

"Did you curse at me?" I asked coming to a stop on the corner before he crossed to the next block.

"No!" His voice seemed loud in the relative quiet of the city night. "All I asked was if you were listening to me. It wasn't even in Russian, it was Italian." He looked like he was hiding something else that he had said, but I wasn't going to push, not now at least.

I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Okay Merriam-Webster, or should I call you Rosetta Stone?"

He laughed and started walking again. "I'll take Merriam-Webster thank you. Rosetta is more of a girl's name anyhow."

Music from a night club filtered out onto the street as we approached the entrance facing the street. The queue was out the door, filled with tall girls in less clothing than myself and guys in shirts that were two sizes too small. I watched the pack of women eyeing Edward greedily as we passed them. Feeling quite inadequate walking next to him, I looked to the ground in front of me.

"Do you get that reaction wherever you go?" I mumbled to the concrete.

"What?"

"Nothing." I was too afraid to say it again to his face.

"Seriously, what did you say?" He grabbed my wrist lightly causing me to look up at him.

"Seriously, what did you say earlier?" I mocked him and raised my eyebrow.

"When?"

"Don't play stupid Edward. What did you say?" All I could remember was my name on his lips and the reverent tone he had used. I tried to remember the words in my head to repeat them back to him, but it was only coming back as a jumbled mess.

"When I asked if you were listening to me?"

"No," I huffed. "After that…when you said my name."

"Bella, si mettono tanta felicità per me?" He phrased it in a question and it didn't have the same sound to it like it had before. I sighed in frustration; I wanted it in the same context.

"Yes, that's the one," I replied, sounding rather deflated by all of this.

He stopped again and stared at me intently, his green eyes bouncing back and forth between my own. The look he gave me was intense and I felt like my soul was melting into the sidewalk. His fingers stroked my wrist lazily while the war inside of him raged on. Whatever he had said, he meant it and it was scaring the shit out of him now to confess its meaning in plain English. Not even the stubble on his face could hide the hard set of his jaw, or the way he was clenching and unclenching his teeth together in his mouth.

I opened my mouth to protest when his hand circled my wrist again and tugged me into his chest. The smell of sunshine and cologne tickled my senses as he wrapped his arms around me. Feeling the pressure of his head resting on mine as we stood under the glow of the street lamp, I smiled into the fabric of his shirt despite not having my answer yet. A soft breeze picked up as we stood together and I waited for him to say it.

The translation floated in the air as he whispered it softly to the wind.

* * *

**Author's Note: I know, I'm a total bitch for leaving you hanging like that right?**

**Don't worry, he will tell Bella what it means in the next chapter. I'm not done with Italy just yet. :)**

**Translation Nation!: (These are all from Google Translator, so blame them if it's wrong.)**

_Italian to English_

"Stai a sentire?" - "Are you listening?

"Oh Bella, si mettono tanta felicità per me." - "Oh Bella, you bring so much happiness to me."

"Bella, si mettono tanta felicità per me?" - "Bella, you bring so much happiness to me?"

_Spanish to English_

"¿Dónde está el baño más cercano?" - "Where's the nearest restroom?"

"El baño es por la calle en la tienda más cercana, aunque me temo que está fuera de servicio de la señorita." - "The bathroom is down the street in the store, but I fear that is out of service of Miss."

**Hope that wasn't too confusing!**

**Please review! I promise I read & cherish every one of them :)**


	17. Chapter 17: Give Me Steam

**Author's Note: This chapter was originally going to be posted as a separate out take to be read between Chapter 16 & the original 17. Because it's only a one time occurance that I'm writing an out take for this story, I'm just going to go ahead and post it as a chapter.**

**This chapter is strictly Jasper/Alice, and occurred while Bella & Edward were out walking in Italy and after Ben and Angela left.**

**For all intensive purposes, it's a complete smut take written for some friends of mine. Enjoy an impromptu lemon! :)**

**BIG OBVIOUS WARNING: This chapter contains adult language and sexual situations and lots of them, so if you're not supposed to be reading that kind of stuff... don't. **

**You can get official teasers and updates on this fan fiction from me on Twitter[dot]com/bonvoyage_ff**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to Ms. Meyer. However, the lemons belong to me...**

* * *

**JPOV**

_Always remain the gentleman in any situation,_ my father would always chide me in his thick Texan accent, _it's the Southern way._

I repeated this over and over in my mind now as the bathroom door clicked shut. I waited for the click of the lock being turned on the elaborate handle, but the sound never came. In its place came the hushed whisper of water running in the shower, nearly melting me into the sofa. My resolve was already strained from watching movies in the dark. Despite the company in the room, she had worn paper thin pajama shorts and a tiny tank top; baring her midriff where the two scraps of fabric refused to meet. The perfume she wore still clung to the shirt on my back, wrapping its scent around my senses. I could feel the pressure where her body had leaned against mine during the scary parts of the movie.

"Jasper?" Alice's voice called from behind the wooden door that separated us.

"Yes?" I answered back, my voice cracking slightly.

"Want to take a shower?"

_Oh fuck,_ my brain started screaming. "Are you sure?" _Be the gentleman_.

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't," she chuckled as I heard the shower door open then click shut.

Alice and I weren't really what you would call a couple. We made out a few times under the bleachers after track practice, but that was the extent of going beyond our friendship and classmate boundaries. The desire was there, even in the few times that we met secretly I could feel the passion and fervor in her kisses in the way she clutched me to her tiny body. Kisses were easy and small compared to the line she was asking me to cross now. There would be no turning back from this if we went past our current state.

I stood on the precipice and hesitated with my fingers clinching the handle until she called to me in that sultry tone once more.

"I'm here," I responded as I pushed the door closed, noticing the outline of her frame in the steamy shower stall.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd left," she laughed.

I undressed quietly and listened to the water falling down from the shower head and make its way to the drain. The bathroom was immaculate, hosting a huge double sink top vanity, a toilet and bidet, as well as a double sized shower stall. It was hard not to notice how her little body only took up a fraction of the large enclosed space; there was enough room for at least six of her to have a party inside of it. My pajama pants hit the floor near my ankles and I was completely nude in the cool room.

"Alright, I'm coming in," I announced to her aloud so she was prepared. I averted my gaze from her as I entered and stood near the back of the shower. Only one of the two shower heads was turned on, so I proceeded attempt to cut on the other one.

"That one is broken; I'll have to tell maintenance in the morning." I couldn't help but turn to look at her now, she _was_ using the only working shower head.

She stared devilishly at me over her shoulder, her full lips curling over her teeth in a wicked smile before placing her head under the hot water. The spiky locks melted into a wet pile of ebony on her head and the steam licked off of her skin as it warmed to the new temperature. It was a scene that was hard to keep myself from entering; the way she giggled in delight as the spray tickled her skin paired with the trail of soap bubbles that was falling down her arms as she washed. She didn't face me directly but I can't say that I didn't enjoy the view.

Alice had the body of a runner; this was something I knew even with her clothes on. Despite her short height, her body was pure lean muscle with her legs taking up the majority of her four foot ten stature. It wasn't hard to imagine her naked when we ran in the mornings, a tradition we took up once we joined the varsity track team. The tight spandex bra she wore clung to her breasts like a second skin, and the barely there shorts didn't hide much from the eye either. Her tattoo would peek out at me from the waistline as she would run in front of me; the number seven with a pair of Hermes' shoes framing each side of the inked number. My fingers reflexively reached out to trace the design as the water rivulets caressed the small of her back. The quick gasp made me snap my hand back behind my body.

"Your fingers are cold," she exhaled quickly and turned to face me fully.

My teeth mashed together in my mouth as I locked up my jaw to keep it from falling open. The hot water had turned Alice's skin a delicious pink color on top of the creaminess of her skin, with her small, perky breasts begging for me to touch them. I had to clench my fists tightly behind me to keep from running my fingers over those soft pink nipples, the buds growing harder as I stared at her. Looking down didn't help either. Her smooth, flat stomach was just the prelude to the juncture just below her hip bones. No traces of hair lingered there; she was as bare as the day she was born. My body shivered at the thought of getting anywhere close to being inside of her.

"How rude of me!" she exclaimed as she noticed the movement, "You must be cold with me hogging all of the water."

I had to clear my throat twice before I could speak. "No, I'm okay. You go ahead and finish up," clearly she hadn't spotted the fact that I was hard as a rock just from looking at her.

"Okay," she smiled sweetly, "Want to wash my back?" she turned again, her back curving perfectly, sticking her little ass out to invite me into the deed.

I cleared my throat again. "If you want me to…" I didn't want to push her further than she wanted to go. Her reply was silent as she turned quickly to smirk at me, a bathing sponge hanging from her fingertip and body wash in the other hand.

Slipping the sponge and bottle from her hands, I added the cream to the porous tuft and worked it into a rich lather while she turned to face the wall again. Her breathing was soft and coming in and out of her mouth while she waited. The small gasp of shock was barely audible over the water as I moved behind her and pressed the bubbles to her wet flesh, adding light pressure to the sponge as I dragged it across her body. I feared I would break her if I pushed too hard, her tiny frame shattering into a million pieces on the shower floor.

By the time I reached her tattoo, I was in a daze. The smell of vanilla and sugar filled the enclosed space and the heat was doing weird things to my head. Her skin was pink beneath the white foam, the water washing it away to reveal the tiny design again. Moving the sponge back to the center of her back with my right hand, I ran my fingertips across the inked flesh with my left. The moan it elicited from her mouth was almost sinful with the amount of emotion that was put behind it. I could feel my body temperature rise when I thought of what this meant; she wanted me to touch her. I could feel it now as she arched her back further into my palm.

My emotions waged a war in my head as my thumb ran across the smooth skin. I was failing miserably at showing restraint, but I could _feel_ it; she wanted this. I let go of the sponge on her back, hearing the soft thud as it hit the tiles at our feet. I placed my fingers between her shoulder blades and traced her spine. Her tiny hands shot out to the glass wall to brace herself as she arched further, moaning and gasping for breath as she tossed her head back.

I wanted to see her face, hell; I wanted to see all of her. The scent of her skin, the water that rested there as it pooled on her flesh; I wanted all of it, I needed all of it.

My hand slipped in a mixture of soap and water and moved across her small hip to the top of her thigh. The noise that came out of her lips was exquisite, even though my action was purely unintentional. I felt her shift below my hands, turning to face me again. My arms went limp at my sides and all I could do was stare into her hooded green eyes. The light of the bathroom beyond the shower framed her in an angelic light as the vanilla and steam tickled the fringes of my rational thoughts again.

She raised her delicate arm, outstretching her hand in a slow gesture. Her eyes burned into my soul as stared at me. The tiny finger only crooked in my direction twice, beckoning me to come and claim my prize. I could resist no longer, not with that come hither look on her face. I totally fucking lost it…

**APOV**

My fingertips slid across the steam covered glass as he crashed into me, pressing the length of his body onto mine. I wasn't an idiot, I knew he'd been rock hard since the moment he stepped in the shower and faced me. I knew this was what I wanted. I'd spent too many long months toying around with the idea; wearing skimpy running gear and running in front of him on purpose. Even the tattoo was all part of this grand plan to seduce him, and it was working.

His lips attacked my neck and collar bones as his arms wrapped behind me, pulling me impossibly closer and arching my body into his. My feeble attempts to grab something for stability in this slick shower were failing. There was nothing to cling to as the pleasure of his tongue lapped at the wetness on my skin; no towel bars, no railing, only slick glass. Jasper nipped at the skin under my ear and I whimpered loudly as I threw my arms around his neck. The steely cords of his muscles shifted as he turned to look at me. His hazel eyes bore into mine with such intensity I thought I might melt and wash away down the shower drain.

"Jasper…" his name left my lips on a quiet whisper as I panted in and out. His ragged breath came out of him in huffs as he held me there pinned against him.

"I can't hold back much longer Alice, you're dancing on a very fine line," he all but growled at me. _That was fucking hot._

I pulled his face close to mine, feeling a momentary loss from not being able to see his eyes. His hair was wet as I pushed it away and tucked it behind his ear before cupping the back of his head. The words left my lips softly, like a child telling secrets in class, but the effects they had been so much louder in comparison. The growling bubbling up from his chest into his throat, the sound of his hand grasping the wet flesh of my ass as he hitched my leg over him; they sounded like victory bells in the shower in comparison to my tiny, breathless words.

"So don't…"

His fingers wound through the short hair that was plastered wet to my head and tugged at the strands until my neck was craned backwards. I winced at the little electric currents of pain as my nerves told my brain it hurt, but the gentle massage that came after was relaxing and the pain ebbed into lust. My throat was completely exposed to his mouth, which he took full advantage of; kissing, licking and nipping his way from my collar bone to my ear lobe. I wanted to look at him again, but the fingers in my hair kept me from moving.

"You taste so…heavenly," he admired, his wicked tongue tracing my earlobe making me shiver even in the hot space.

"Do you taste delicious Jasper?" I asked flirtatiously. I honestly felt like giving more than receiving.

Unlatching my arms from around his neck and placing my hitched leg back on the floor, I skimmed my hands down his chest. His eyes followed the downward movement and I chuckled, hooking a finger under his chin to refocus his attention on my face.

"Eyes up here," I smiled and reveled in his fiery gaze.

My hands travelled over his pectorals and onto his flat stomach. Jasper wasn't ripped like a body builder, but he was not lacking in muscle. Much like other runners, the muscle was all lean and solid instead of bulky and chiseled. I could feel them twitch and move under my fingertips, which made my mouth pull up in a smirk as I stared back at him. His face was so serious and intent as he looked at me, still holding back much of what he wanted to do. My fingers brushed the sharp angles of his hip bones and drove on lower, grazing the short hairs just above my ultimate destination. The color in his eyes flared, and I could see it. The desire raging inside of him was screaming and clawing to come out. It became painful to watch, and when I could look him in the eye no longer, I looked down to the space between us.

He hung there, rigid and beautiful with his pubic hair trimmed close to his body. I had initially been afraid that we would be too large, but he was perfect; perfect for me. I lazily dragged a fingernail across the length of him while he hissed between his teeth. Looking back to his face with hooded eyes filled with lust, I breathed in and out slowly through my mouth. His jaw was clenched tight, but his eyelids were falling with his waning resolve. It was time to get brave and break him; he needed to know it was okay.

Palming him with my right hand, I wrapped my fingers around the shaft and squeezed him gently. He exhaled loudly, like he'd been holding his breath for a long time as I caressed and admired the smooth skin with my hand. I lifted my other hand to brush the hair back out of his face. His eyes started to roll back in his head as I gently tugged at him, back and forth, in a slow pace.

"Alice…" he breathed quietly to me.

"Shhh…" I shushed him with my finger before claiming his lips with my own. He was like putty in my hands now that I'd relaxed him considerably. It didn't take much effort to spin him around and push him into the shower wall he'd all but pinned me to earlier. The sound of wet flesh meeting glass rang out in the humid air and I smiled diabolically before lowering myself to the shower floor.

**JPOV**

_Holy fuck…_

All of my nerves were standing at attention and getting played by the master musician known as Alice Cullen. I heard my back hit the shower more than I felt it, but I didn't miss the smile that donned her face or the way she licked her lips as she disappeared to the floor.

_Say something!_My conscious screamed at me. _No you idiot! Shut the fuck up!_

I managed to get out some undistinguishable noise before her fingers wrapped around me again. The wall was my support; otherwise I fear I would have fallen from her just touching me. Her hand pulled at me and then pushed as she stroked me over and over. I felt like I was floating in some dream land where this could actually be happening. There was no way Alice would go this far with me…ever. I closed my eyes and fell into the rhythm she created while she jacked me off. The wet pressure that came a minute later made me moan loudly. _Wait…_My eyes snapped open and stared down at the sight before me.

Alice was on her knees, resting her perfect ass on her feet with her left arm between my legs pressing the glass for support. Her right hand was wrapped around my cock and her full lips were open revealing the soft pink tongue that was worshipping the head. I groaned as my dick twitched in response. A set of jade green eyes looked up at me, filled with pure carnal desire as she took a long shuddering breath. Her lips parted further and she turned her gaze from mine, sliding her mouth fully over the head and taking me into her mouth.

I died…right there in that shower. I died and went to a place filled with need, longing and ecstasy. The sound of water falling like rain was far off, with the thud of heartbeats and gentle sucking playing like an orchestra in my ears. All of my muscles were tightly bound and my skin felt every sensation; from the tiny droplets running down my back to the massaging of Alice's mouth on the base of my dick. It was all too much to take in at once; too much for me to handle.

My arms shot out after a few minutes of this exquisite torture, hands searching for something solid to grasp as my insides melted into jelly. There was nothing, aside from my body or hers. Looking down, her black silken covered head bobbed back and forth with a quickening pace. I grunted at the image before me, lowering my hand to caress her hair and then her cheek.

I swear I heard an audible pop when my penis left her mouth.

"Are you alright?" she looked at me concerned, hand still wrapped around me.

I placed my other hand over hers and pumped myself while rubbing her cheek with my other hand. "I'm fine. You're truly amazing," I sounded like a love drunk fool.

"Oh, I thought something was wrong…" she started to blush.

"Nothing at all, I just needed some balance."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at me from the floor and stuck out her tongue. She ran the wicked instrument from the base of my shaft, over our fingers, up to the tip. A quick swirl around the top was all the warning I got before she slid it back into her mouth while looking right at me. I was nearly undone from the sight; I removed my hand from over hers and placed both of them gently on her head. My fingers wound through her damp hair, reaching her scalp and started to massage it as she suckled me with her mouth. I resisted the urge to grip the silky locks tighter as she rocked me to my core, finding the thought of hurting her while she was pleasuring me repulsive. The pace grew faster and faster while my breathing got louder and the moans and growls erupted from my lips. I could feel the pressure building deep within my loins, wanting to escape after each delicious stroke of her wet mouth.

"Alice," I hissed loudly. It was the only warning I could manage to cry out to her since my brain stopped trying to form words. Her mouth came to a stop at the base of my shaft and she moaned, sending vibrations from her throat through the head of my dick. I lost it completely and exploded into her mouth as the muscles of her throat clinched around me. Her free hand came up to cup my scrotum and I groaned in ecstasy. Between the sensations of her mouth and her hand, it was amazing I was still solid or even standing. It felt like the world was shattering around me and that I should be falling instead of clutching to Alice for support.

A few moments passed in near silence, the only sound was the water that still ran from the shower to the floor. She rose silently from her position on the floor and smiled, which nearly caused my jaw to fall open. Did she… swallow it?

"I'm going to go brush my teeth while you clean up if that's okay?" she questioned lightly.

"Sssure," I managed to stutter out, "I'll be right out."

I watched her exit the shower stall with a wink over her shoulder just before the glass door clicked back into place.

**APOV**

I chuckled inwardly at the awestruck look on his face when I had exited the shower as I brushed my teeth. I could hear his hurried scrubbing and rinsing in an attempt to finish up quickly. I cut the water to the sink just a few moments before the shower went silent. Jasper's breathing was calmer now, but still loud in comparison to my own. I hopped up onto the cold marble counter and perched myself between the two sink bowls, crossing my naked legs. I'd neglected to cover myself up with a towel. It wouldn't be needed in a few moments anyway if I had my way.

The shower stall door opened with a tiny squeak and Jasper emerged, reaching for a towel on the nearest towel bar. He dragged the fluffy white material across his head, down his chest and stomach and gently drying off his legs before wrapping it around his waist.

"You missed a spot…or two," I laughed from my counter top view.

His eyes shot up from the floor in surprise and stared at me. "I didn't know you were still in here," he smiled to hide his shock.

I attempted to look as innocent as possible as he walked over to the vanity to look in the mirror. "Oops," I giggled and covered my mouth in mockery.

I watched him inspect his face in the glass, watching as his eyes would wander over to my breasts and then snap back to his reflection.

"It's okay if you want to look Jasper," I laughed at him, "It's not like you haven't seen them before."

"I'm not trying to be rude Alice," he huffed.

"Oh," I slowly uncrossed my legs and pouted while hooking a finger under his chin, "but I insist…" I threw every bit of smoldering lust I could into my gaze.

He reached up and ran his hand through my hair, slowly pulling my face to his and kissing me sweetly. I slid my hands on either side of his face and kissed him deeper, sliding my tongue out to meet his as they tangoed in our mouths. He sucked my bottom lip gently, taking it into his mouth and letting it pop back like a rubber band. I nipped at his playfully as I wound my fingers through his drying hair. The rumble in his chest grew louder, filling the room with its baritone sound as it vibrated around us. I felt him shift against the countertop, moving in between my open legs he grabbed my hips and pulled me across the marble until my core brushed against him through the towel. I gasped in the middle of our passionate kiss; he was hard again already. His eye lids lifted lazily to look up at me from under his thick eyelashes.

"Do you see what you do to me?" he drawled out the question lazily.

"Mmm, yes," I moaned as I crushed his lips back to mine. I hitched my thumbs between the towel and his skin and loosened the cotton until it fell to the floor at his feet. His breathing picked up as I wrapped my legs around his hips and started to pull him closer to me.

"Alice, wait…" he panted like he'd just finished a cross country meet, "Are you sure about this? I know oral is one thing but…this?"

"Yes I'm positive," I tried to kiss him again but he hesitated.

"I don't have any condoms on me," he confessed.

"It's fine Jasper. I'm on the shot," I tried to smile through this awkward moment. He sighed in resignation and I knew I was losing him. "Please," I pleaded with my words and my eyes as I laid a hand on his chest. His heart was fluttering just like mine. "Please Jasper, everything will be fine… I promise."

I dropped languid kisses along his jaw line as he pondered over my request. His eyes fell closed as I ran my nails over the flesh of his chest, playing with the thin hairs that rested there. I pressed my begging further, grabbing his free hand and placing it on my breast for him, hoping he'd come around soon. The fingers began to move and tease after a few moments, squeezing and stroking in slow sensual movements as he fondled it. I threw my head back when he wrapped his other arm around my back and pulled my chest closer to his mouth. He took my nipple in his mouth, softly licking the tender flesh before sucking at the tip where it had stiffened from his touch. My fingers dove into his hair as he was latched there, submitting myself to the masterful work of his tongue.

After a few moments of having his fill with both of my breasts, his tongue jutted out and ran a slow trail from my sternum to my chin. I looked down to his face, beautiful and perfect, with his hazel eyes glowing from the vanity lights. I couldn't close my mouth from panting, his face was too statuesque not to admire. His hand travelled from my chest, down across my stomach until he reached his goal. I didn't break his intense stare until he pushed one of his long fingers inside of me and I had to close my eyes against the wave of pleasure that rocked through me. I drew in a ragged breath as he moved it in and out slowly at first, but then picked up the pace.

I whimpered and felt hollow as he withdrew, arching myself up towards him in a begging gesture. I needed relief…immediately. The look on his face was calm, staring right at me as he raised his hand from between my legs to place his wicked finger in his mouth to taste me. I didn't have time for the shock to register on my face as he started to pull my ass closer to him across the marble. Then he was there, hovering outside of my opening without any barrier at all, skin on skin.

Letting go of him, I put my arms back behind me on the vanity to brace myself from the inevitable impact. I was positive it would break me, if our kisses and other actions of the night were to be used as any sort of indicator. He pushed in slowly and gently but I could feel each shudder run through him, every crevice he hit as he did so. We hissed in unison as he reached the limit; he filled me to the core and it was magnificent.

"You're so wet," he breathed out as he started a slow rhythm.

I couldn't form words to say to thank him or even compliment him in any way. My brain had switched to only processing feelings and emotions in this moment. The marble was cold underneath me and his palms grew hot and slick against my skin as he thrust impossibly deeper into me. My hands started to slip on the counter's surface, so I latched onto him for support. I felt my fingers press into the tense muscles of his back, and I fleetingly feared clawing him with my nails as I tried to hang on. He grunted and panted in my ear as I moaned in ecstasy, filling the room with our beautiful chorus.

His fingers suddenly grasped my hip bones in a tight grip as he lifted and pulled me up and down with a quickening pace. I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the pressure build within me as the wave of an orgasm roared to life. Where he grunted I cried out and where he breathed out I drew a breath in. Jasper was racing towards the precipice that would ultimately have us both falling, crashing into an ocean of release. The muscles under my finger tips bound tighter as he braced himself and I squeezed tighter against his body. He slammed his torso into mine in a final thrust and the blackness behind my eyelids exploded with color. I clenched around his shaft repeatedly as he came with me. The roar that exploded from his lips totally eclipsed my cries of release. We clung to each other as if we were the only stable objects in the room.

A few moments passed as we took in the moment, intertwined and gasping for breath. I slowly opened my eyes; the muted colors of the bathroom light were blinding in comparison to the darkness behind my lids. I looked to his face, surprised to find the hazel orbs staring back at me. They were glossy, covered in moisture that only love and emotion could produce. I imagined they were so much like my own in that moment. I watched his lips form a smile, curling up at the corner as he brushed a hand over my hair.

"You were breathtaking," he breathed softly, "absolutely and utterly magnificent."

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope that wasn't too much for some of you to handle. ;)**

**Feel free to review even though it's not E/B material. I appreciate it! **


	18. Chapter 18: Take My Hand

**Author's Note: I feel extra happy that I could actually get this chapter out on time! I'm going to try and update regularly on Thursdays from now on. The only exception in the near future is probably December 24th since it's Christmas Eve, but I'll definitely be posting an update sometime that week.**

**Big thanks to druscilla831 for beta'n this for me & tons of love to my readers/reviewers/followers.**

**You can get official teasers and updates on this fan fiction from me on Twitter[dot]com/bonvoyage_ff**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor do I live in Europe, but a girl can dream can't she?**

* * *

From Chapter 16:

_"Don't play stupid Edward. What did you say?" All I could remember was my name on his lips and the reverent tone he had used. I tried to remember the words in my head to repeat them back to him, but it was only coming back as a jumbled mess._

_"When I asked if you were listening to me?"_

_"No," I huffed. "After that…when you said my name."_

_"Bella, si mettono tanta felicità per me?" He phrased it in a question and it didn't have the same sound to it like it had before. I sighed in frustration; I wanted it in the same context._

_"Yes, that's the one," I replied, sounding rather deflated by all of this._

_He stopped again and stared at me intently, his green eyes bouncing back and forth between my own. The look he gave me was intense and I felt like my soul was melting into the sidewalk. His fingers stroked my wrist lazily while the war inside of him raged on. Whatever he had said, he meant it and it was scaring the shit out of him now to confess its meaning in plain English. Not even the stubble on his face could hide the hard set of his jaw, or the way he was clenching and unclenching his teeth together in his mouth._

_I opened my mouth to protest when his hand circled my wrist again and tugged me into his chest. The smell of sunshine and cologne tickled my senses as he wrapped his arms around me. Feeling the pressure of his head resting on mine as we stood under the glow of the street lamp, I smiled into the fabric of his shirt despite not having my answer yet. A soft breeze picked up as we stood together and I waited for him to say it._

_The translation floated in the air as he whispered it softly to the wind.

* * *

_

**BPOV**

I felt the small vibrations in his chest as he spoke the words out loud, though I could barely hear him. My ears strained to catch the words, sounding like they were laced with even more emotion now than before. I managed to catch my name and 'happiness to me' but nothing more. I didn't bother to ask again and simply smiled to myself. It took so much for him to even say it the first time that I wouldn't bother to push him for it a second time. I fully expected him to move, to unlatch me from his grasp so that we could continue our walk but he was frozen. It wasn't as if I cared really; I was content being this close to him, breathing in his delicious scent without crossing any of our predetermined lines.

The vibration in my purse made me nearly curse out loud when Edward removed his arms from around me. Who in the hell would be calling at this time of the night? I fished through the mess with my hand while watching Edward slowly put space between us. Grumbling, I answered the phone before looking at the caller id.

"Hello?" My tone was laced with more than enough acid to get my mood across.

"Hey Bella, are you alright?" Angela's voice came through the little speaker into my ear. I instantly felt like a total bitch.

"Hey Angela, yeah I'm fine. Sorry about that, what's up?"

"Oh…I just wanted to let you know that the movie is done and Ben & I are back in our room."

"Okay, sorry about leaving out early. I really didn't care for that movie," I apologized, turning away from Edward's gaze.

"But haven't you watched that movie before after Jessica…"

"Yeah, there were just other things involved." I cut her off hastily.

"Oh…" she made the word sound sing song like "...can he hear me?"

"Maybe."

"Well then I won't keep you, but I need to warn you that your friend Alice might be up to something."

"Like what?" Hopefully it didn't involve chewing me out about leaving early.

"Something X rated if you catch my drift." She made sure to whisper in case Edward was listening.

"OH!" I _knew_ she wore those pajamas for a reason.

"Anyway, I'll let you go so you can get back to your canoodling. Have fun and don't be out too late." I could picture her winking if I was right in front of her. She was starting to sound like my dad.

"Yes mother Angela, I'll behave." I laughed and turned back around to Edward as I hung up the phone.

* * *

**EPOV**

I watched her shoulders tense and release while she turned away from me. Her shirt was billowing in the small breeze along with her long hair. I noticed her shorts had started to ride up from where she had been walking. They exposed even more of her creamy legs, if that was even possible. The small scrap of denim she called shorts barely covered anything and nearly disappeared under the yellow fabric of her shirt.

"She thinks we are misbehaving." She laughed as she turned around to face me. I offered her a smile filled with mischief.

"Are we?" I added a wink and watched her jaw fall slack in embarrassment.

"Not that I know of…" she trailed off. I watched as she looked to her bag for a distraction, tucking the phone back in its case.

"They are finished with the movie then?" She started to look tense again.

"Yeah…but I'm not ready to go back yet. It's so nice out tonight."

I looked up to the night sky, noticing that the city lights blocked out the stars much like back home in Chicago. I had to drive thirty minutes out of the city to see the sky as it should be viewed, crystal clear without the light and city pollution. Too bad I didn't have that option here.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. I felt her fingers touch mine lightly, tugging me out of my thoughts.

"I was thinking about home. The skies here are very similar to the ones in Chicago."

"Really?" She looked up and a frown marred her features. "At least you can see the moon and the stars."

"Do they not exist where you live?" I chuckled.

"Yes, they do." She glared at me with a smile. "Most of the time it's cloudy or raining, so I'm lucky if I get to see either."

I laced my fingers in between hers and squeezed them lightly before I started walking again.

"I'll have to take you somewhere to show you them one day, up close and personal."

"You own a rocket ship too?! What exactly does your dad do again?" she laughed, mocking my attempt to be nice.

"I meant at an observatory smart ass." I bumped our entwined hands against her leg. "He's a doctor, remember?"

"Oh…right?"

"Was that wine really so good you lost your memory of dinner in Paris?"

I saw a few emotions flicker across her face before she decided to answer me.

"I didn't forget everything, but in my defense, the alcohol played a big part in that night." Ouch, that stung just a little, but at least she was being honest.

"Okay." It was all I could really say, but it made the mood even more awkward than it was before.

"It's not like I don't want to remember!" she squealed. "I know you live in Chicago, Alice is your sister, your mom's name is Esme and your dad's name is Carl."

"Carlisle," I corrected her.

"Oh I was close!" she huffed.

"Indeed, you were close." I chuckled at her grasping for straws.

"I bet you don't remember anything about me!"

"Want to bet?"

"I don't have any cash on me."

"We'll just call it an IOU then."

"Fine, I'll take that bet!"

I cleared my throat very dramatically, watching her roll her eyes while I lined up all of the facts.

"Your name is Isabella Swan but you prefer to be called Bella. You hail from Forks, Washington but lived with your mother, Renee, in Phoenix, Arizona for awhile. Both of your parents are divorced and remarried, which you despise even though you'd never say it to their faces. Your father, Charlie is the police chief of Forks and your mother sells things on eBay." I took a long breath after I rattled off the majority of what I could remember from our conversations. Bella was looking at the concrete in front of her in silence.

"Did I miss anything?" I questioned.

"Nope," she answered with a slightly sour tone. "I guess you win."

"Does that upset you?" I nudged her shoulder so she'd look at me.

"I just feel stupid for not remembering things about you, that's all." The look in her eyes was one of shame.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. It's not like you have a pop quiz when we get to Greece tomorrow."

"You mean today." I watched as her lip pulled up in a smirk.

"Actually I meant tomorrow, like when we land."

"I bet you it's today," she said, issuing the challenge.

"I don't have any cash on me." I repeated her excuse from earlier.

"Then we'll call it an IOU then," she imitated me.

"Sure. Who's clock are we going by?"

"Mine."

"I think you're rigging this whole bet." I quipped.

"I think not!" She untangled her hand from mine to reach into her bag for her phone and my hand cooled considerably despite the warm night. "AT&T sets my time by satellite," she taunted me, wiggling the phone in front of us.

"Okay, I say its 11:55."

"Fine, I say its 12:30," she responded. "Ready?" Her finger was poised on the button under the black screen. I nodded with a quick 'mmmhmm' and she pushed the button, illuminating the screen to reveal the time; 12:35 AM.

"HA!" she boomed. "I told you so… nana nana boo boo!" She danced around beside me, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Gloating suits you," I chuckled, grabbing her hand once more. I smiled inwardly as the warmth returned to my palm as her hand slipped perfectly back into mine.

* * *

**BPOV**

I couldn't ignore the tingle of electricity that ran from my hand to my heart as my hand slipped back into Edward's. It felt so good and complete the way that it glided right back into place, our palms together and our fingers wrapped around each other lightly. Our arms swung between us lightly as we walked, like a swing on a summer playground. I smiled inwardly that he was the one grabbing my hand, maybe he thought that our boundaries should be stretched a little too.

"So what's the deal between you and Jasper?" I inquired. I felt his arm stiffen considerably and saw that his jaw was set into a hard line at the mention of his name. "Is it really that bad? Were you not friends at home?"

He took a deep breath before he answered. "We weren't friends in Chicago, but I know him. He lives in my neighborhood and comes over to run with my sister in the mornings…" he paused to collect his thoughts "…I don't hate him, I just hate that he likes my sister and didn't bother asking permission."

"Permission?" I had to laugh at him, which earned me a scowl. "Why should he ask permission? Does a girl have to go through Alice before she calls dibs on you?"

"No," he snorted. "But it's different, she's my little sister. It's my job to protect her."

"Aren't you the same age?" As far as I knew they were twins.

"I'm five minutes older." He answered with a sarcastic tone.

"OoOo, five minutes." I wiggled my fingers, mocking him a bit.

"It doesn't matter; she still needs me to watch out for her."

"Somehow, and this is just my observation, I think that Alice is the last person that needs any kinds of watching."

"I guess its sibling thing," he sighed. "You'd see my point if you had a younger brother."

"I don't think I'd hover that much," I asserted. "You looked like you were about to kill them earlier."

"It was…tempting."

"I'd like to cash in my IOU," I babbled awkwardly.

"So soon? And here I thought you'd save it for something that was actually worth while."

"I want you to let Jasper and Alice have their fun while they are in Europe. None of this overprotective brotherly love mess, at least not until you get home. Okay?" It was the least I could do to repay her for all of the stuff she'd done for me the past few days.

"I don't think I can keep that promise." I could hear him grinding his teeth.

I looked up at him from under my eyelashes, turning on the puppy dog eyes that helped me get my way back at home; one of the many tricks you learn being an only child.

"Please Edward," I pleaded, sticking out my lower lip in a pout.

He groaned, and I knew it was tormenting him to agree, but it was a necessary evil to make him agree.

"Fine," he huffed in resignation. "But only until this trip is over."

I smiled victoriously. "Sounds like a deal to me."

He tugged our joined hands up towards his face, glancing at the massive watch that adorned his wrist. Didn't we just discuss the time only a few moments ago?

"It's getting late," he announced. "We probably should head back and get some rest before we have to leave for Greece."

"Greece…" I said the word in a reverent tone and smiled.

"You have family there?" It was more of a question than a statement.

"No, I wish I did though," I laughed, pointing to my pale skin. "I might actually tan some versus burning in the tiniest bit of sunlight." He snickered at my self jest. "I actually just love the culture there and the mythology. It's so magical…" I trailed off in wonder without really meaning to.

"So you want to walk around wearing chitons all day? How interesting…"

"A shit-what?" I had no clue what he was talking about.

"A chiton; it's what the ancient Greek women used to wear. Sort of like Roman togas, except much easier to put on."

"And you know this because you've worn one?" I laughed.

"No… I know this because I've read the Greek classics…once or twice," he smiled.

"It seems like you have too much time on your hands."

"Possibly."

We talked more about ancient Greece as we walked back to the hotel. The journey back to the building seemed much shorter than the one that led us away from it. I yawned hugely as we approached the entrance and the door man held the door for us to pass through. Our conversation fell quiet as we entered the empty lobby. I noticed someone pacing around the seating area to my right and cringed reflexively into Edward's side when I saw that it was Felix, the security guard. We headed in the opposite direction, walking towards the elevator hallway where the golden doors awaited us. It didn't take long for them to open once Edward pushed the button. I was thankful for that; I didn't think I could stand much longer.

The ride was short and silent as we were whisked up to our floor. I rested my head on his arm, closing my eyes as the cabin hummed in its ascent. I grumbled when the door chimed, even the brief moment of a nap was too divine to be interrupted.

"Are you that sleepy?" he chuckled, tugging me out of the cabin.

The cool air conditioning in the hallway hit my skin and I shivered at the temperature change, but it woke me up enough to respond.

"I wasn't that tired until we got back here. Maybe it's the thought of collapsing into bed that's so tiring." I smiled a lazy smile and followed him.

His room was before mine on this hallway, but he didn't slow as we approached his door. The phone call from Angela tickled the edges of my memory and I panicked. What if what she said was true? I planted my feet when we reached his doorway, our linked arms causing him to stumble from the sudden break in momentum.

"Where are you going?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

"I was going to walk you to your room." Edward quirked his eyebrow in confusion.

I looked around his shoulder towards where the entrance to my room stood. "I think I'm a big girl, I can make it alone."

"Are you sure? That yawn you put out earlier was pretty ferocious." He laughed as he turned to face me.

"I'm sure. Besides, your door is right here." I pointed to the door as I spoke.

"But isn't the tradition that the guy always sees the girl to her door at night? I'd hate to be rude." He smiled a crooked smile in his mocking humor.

"Traditions and rules can always be broken." I reached with my free hand into the pocket that was closest to me; thankfully his door key was inside of it.

"I see," he said, taking the door key from my fingers. He slid the card into the lock and the beep signaled that it had disengaged.

"I guess that's my cue." I slipped my hand from his slowly, relishing in the tingle before my hand was left cold and empty. "Goodnight Edward. Thanks for walking with me."

"Goodnight Bella."

He turned the knob before the lock's light turned red and opened the door to go inside. I turned to walk towards my room, digging through my purse for my door key. I noticed my flip flops slapping loudly against the carpet now that there was no conversation in the silent hallway. Pausing to slip them off, I peaked back over my shoulder at Edward's door, only to find his head poking out of the doorframe staring at me.

"What?" I asked him quietly.

"Just making sure you get home safe," he answered.

I chuckled as I bent to pickup my sandals and resumed the search and rescue of my key from my purse. I palmed the card, and slid it into the lock when I reached my door. The light turned green and beeped at me, and I turned the handle. I glanced back down the hallway and waved at Edward's closing door.

****

I woke to the sound of vibrations on the bedside table beside my head. I growled at the noise and threw the covers over my head in an attempt to block out the sound, but they were failing miserably. Yanking back the duvet, I reached blindly for the phone that could probably wake the dead even on a quiet setting. Of course the blasted thing stopped moving once I got it in my hand. A small coo and a shuffle came from the bed next to mine. I prayed I hadn't woken Alice up again. She was already passed out when I had come in earlier.

I used the light from the screen of my iPhone as a flashlight to make it to the bathroom without tripping over something. The door clicked quietly as I pushed it closed and I felt around on the wall until I found the knob for the lighting. The lights felt like they were burning my retinas to pieces when I cranked the knob to the right. I shifted it back to the left slightly, rubbing my eyes in pain as the lights dimmed to a more acceptable brightness.

My phone vibrated in my palm, signaling I had a voicemail and I turned the thing over so I could read the screen. I noticed the time first before I looked at the missed call notification. 3:30 AM… Fuck! Who in the world needs me at this ungodly hour?! The missed call read my mother's name and the word 'Voicemail' was tucked underneath. _Great, just what I needed more than sleep._ I unlocked the phone and pushed the screen until I got to the voicemail. Her voice rang out loudly, bouncing off of every surface in the bathroom since I had it set to speakerphone.

"Hey Bella! It's your mom. I haven't heard from you in a couple days and I just wanted to check on you to see how things are going over there. Give me a call as soon as you get this! Love you!" The quiet returned as the message ended but her chipper tone still rung in my ears. How could she be so vibrant this early in the morning?

My brain decided to start functioning properly and it dawned on me that it wasn't three-thirty in the morning in Phoenix. I looked for my world clock application on my phone and punched in Phoenix, Arizona. Sure enough, it was only seven thirty-three at my mother's house. Typical of her not to figure out what time it was here in Rome.

I flicked my fingers across the screen of my phone and called my mother back, hoping that with a warning, I could get her to check the timing the next time she tried to call me. The phone rang on and on until finally Phil picked up.

"Hello?" His deep voice sounded different than the perky one of my mother.

"Hey Phil, its Bella…can I talk to my mom?" I was whispering in an attempt to keep the noise down.

"Sure thing let me go get her." I heard the phone making clicking and scratching noises as he covered the microphone with his thumb. A few shuffling noises later and my mother's voice came on the line.

"Hey baby!" she shrieked into my ear.

"Mom, it's almost four in the morning here. Can you tone it down just a little?"

"Oops," she giggled quietly. "I didn't wake you up did I?"

"Actually you did," I grunted. "But that's beside the point. What's up?"

"I'm sorry sweetie; I just wanted to see how you were doing. I hadn't talked to you since…" she paused to draw a breath "…well since that conversation with your father."

I cringed internally, sliding down the bathroom wall and hugging my knees. This was not the conversation I wanted to be having at this hour.

"I'm fine mom. We are leaving Rome in about four hours to fly to Greece."

"Ooo, Greece! How exotic! Where will you be staying?"

"Just outside of Athens I think." I rubbed my face trying to remember the exact location. "Don't you have the itinerary I emailed you?"

"No baby, I think I deleted it on accident." _Typical Renee._

"Anyway, that's where were heading."

"Did you take your camera with you or did Charlie make you leave that at home?" she questioned sarcastically.

"I have it with me, but I forgot to take it when we went to the Colosseum." I still resented that fact.

"Well you still have plenty of trip left right? You can make up for it in the other places you go."

"Yeah, I guess so," I yawned. "Mom I better go. I have to be up and packed in two hours."

"Okay sweetie. Listen, I wanted to tell you something about this whole college thing while I have you on the phone."

I winced at the fact she was going to lay it all out on me right now. "Mom, not right now. I can't deal with this right now."

"It's not bad Bella. I just wanted to tell you that after thinking long and hard about it, I've decided that I support your decision to go to whatever college you want to."

"What?!" My voice vibrated in the room as I got louder. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'll stand behind whatever decision you make."

I wanted to stand up and jump around with excitement. But being as tired as I was and that the floor was slick tiles, I decided against it.

"Your father however will not budge. He's determined for you to go to UCLA."

That deflated my ego just a tad.

"Can't you talk to him?" I pleaded.

"I've tried dear, but he gets rather angry and hangs up once I try to convince him." _Typical Charlie._

"I'll figure something out I guess." I sighed in resignation before yawning again. "I'm just glad that you see this is what I want."

"I know baby, and I realized that by holding you back, I was doing the same thing your father did to me." I knew her comment was meant to make me feel angry towards my dad, but I didn't have the energy for anger right now.

"I'll talk to you later okay?" I cajoled her as I was getting off the phone.

"Okay baby, have a good flight."

We exchanged our goodbyes and I ended the call. I stood, smiling into the mirror with a sense of impending victory. I pushed the button on my phone to illuminate to screen as I dimmed the bathroom lights and opened the door. The phone lit up my path as I padded back to bed and collapsed to the mattress in exhaustion. Today, half of the battle was won with my mother, now the last hurdle would be gaining my father's support. My smile didn't fade as I felt the darkness enveloping me, pulling me down into dreamless sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Cute flirting is cute right?**

**Please review, its almost as good as stargazing with Edward. :)**


	19. Chapter 19: Summer Sun

**Author's Note**: **Let me tell you how hard it is to write about hot summer days/nights when it's snowing and people are singing about Christmas on the radio. UGH! I want to be in Greece.**

**A big thank you to the readers that continue to bear with my slow updates lately. Also a hello and thanks to my new followers/reviewers/favoriting folk.**

**Big hugs for druscilla831 for beta'n this for me.**

**You can check out the bathing suits from this chapter in my profile.**

**You can get official teasers and updates on this fan fiction from me on Twitter[dot]com/bonvoyage_ff**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor do I live in Greece. But if you want to build me a time machine, I'd gladly go live in Athens with any one of you. ;)**

* * *

Couple quick words you'll want to know before you read this:

_chlamys_ - Ancient Greek cloak for men. Worn over the clothes by Greek soldiers & aristocrats.

_exomie_ - Ancient Greek clothing for men.

_peplos_ - Ancient Greek dress for women.

All of these you can find pictures of by using the ever handy Google. :)

* * *

**BPOV**

I heard a small beeping noise cut into my sleep filled haze a few hours later, but I chose to ignore it and roll over. I covered my head again slipping back into the limbo of consciousness and sleep. Sleep eventually won, pulling me down like an undertow in a sea of exhaustion, only this time I was greeted with a dream.

_The sky was ebony, sprinkled with a smattering of white sparkling stars. They seemed to multiply the longer I glanced up at them, the gaseous clouds of space swarming around them in formations. I smiled when I saw the moon rising up over the cliffs. Those cliffs blocked the view of the sea, but I didn't mind; the sky was the sight to behold tonight. _

_I was running…no, riding swiftly through the field that bordered the cliffs edge. My fingers were tangled deep into the horse's mane as the beast pressed on even faster while I encouraged him with my heels at his side. I could feel my dress push up my legs, flying behind me like a white flag as my butt bounced across the cloth I'd chosen for a saddle. My hair was becoming thoroughly wind whipped since the ribbon I'd adorned it with was currently in the hands of my pursuer._

_I risked glancing over my shoulder to see if he was gaining on me and I smiled. My stallion was much faster than his even though he was much more skilled at riding than I. I heard him call my name in desperation and I laughed, turning back to direct my horse with a huge grin on my face. The tall cypress tress that lined the end of the field grew closer and in a swift move I tugged my horse's mane to steer him into a sharp left turn. He cried in obedience and cut left just at the tree line, his back hoofs sliding across the ground before gaining traction again. He slowed considerably after turning and I couldn't blame him. I had pushed him far too hard to escape the city and the one who chased me now._

_The black stallion and its rider cut across the field diagonally to catch up to me as I slowed mine to a trot. I stroked my horse's neck lovingly, thanking it for the entertainment as the second horse loped up beside me. The white chlamys that adorned its rider glowed in the moonlight, the red border signaling his position in Greek society. I closed my eyes and bowed my head slightly in his direction before looking to his face. His bronze hair looked untouched even though he had ridden probably twice as fast to catch up with me. His green eyes stared at me unabashedly from his sun kissed face, causing me to blush under my pale complexion. _

"_You put up quiet a chase Isabella." He smiled at me; the moonlight seemed to shatter off of his perfect teeth. "Will you walk with me so that our horses may rest?" He held out his hand in offering and I saw the ribbon wrapped around it and tied at his wrist._

The vision swirled and I resisted my body trying to become awake as the dream continued.

_I watched as he unbuttoned the brooch of his chlamys, revealing the exomie underneath as he spread the cloth across the grass. He lowered his body to the ground, patting lightly at the space beside him to urge me to sit. I obliged, plopping to the ground beside him as I looked out to the sea beyond the cliff's edge. _

_Edward's breath was cool against the warm skin of my neck as he whispered sweet nothings in my ear. The night was hot and humid as every summer night in Greece has been and I welcomed the small puffs of air graciously. My hands smoothed the fabric of my peplos over my legs as he continued, whispering indecent things into my ear that my father would surely kill him for. I giggled and touched his chest lightly when he whispered how much he wanted to ravish me right now. It would be improper for us to do so, since our position in the society required us to be married for such an act. I shuddered at the thought of getting married; binding myself to anyone forever was particularly petrifying. I wanted to be free, not shackled to a man that would eventually find someone else to fulfill his needs._

_I felt his hand cup my face and turn my eyes to his. I drew in a ragged breath as I stared into those green orbs. I hadn't seen this look before, even in the many times that we'd met here secretly. While the kisses we had shared before were passionate, something else burned in those eyes tonight. His words were soft and devout before he raised his body over mine and kissed me deeper than I'd ever known._

_Σ 'αγαπώ Ισαβέλλα. Even though he spoke the words in Greek, I knew what he was saying: I love you Isabella._

I woke with a start as a heavy pressure landed on my legs. Flipping the covers back in a flash, the light of the bedside lamp assaulted my eyes before I could snap them shut again. I was sweating and panting like I'd run a mile in the heat as I rubbed my clammy palms across my cringing eyelids. _It was just a dream…just a dream. _I peeled my hands from my face as the pressure started to shift and thrash under the covers I had tossed off of my head. Pulling my legs out from under the moving figure, I pulled them up to my chest and stared in silent horror at the moving white blob.

After a few moments Alice's head appeared; her dark hair in a tangle of knots and spikes. She huffed from the exertion of fighting out of the duvet before turning her wild eyes to mine.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked, throwing the remainder of the duvet from her body.

"No."

"Its 5:45 and you've got fifteen minutes to get up and get ready."

"Oh shit!" I knew I'd over sleep_. Damn you late night phone calls from home!_

"Damn right it's 'oh shit'. Lucky for you I've laid out your outfit and your bags are by the door."

"Thanks Alice." I smiled, but I still hadn't made the effort to move. She snatched a pillow from the bed and popped me across the legs with it.

"Thank me later. Get up and get ready!"

I shuffled off the bed and grabbed the clothes Alice had laid out on her freshly made bed before trudging off to the bathroom. After taking care of my usual morning routines, I stripped off my now disgusting pajamas and jumped into the shower for a quick rinse. I probably could have waited until we got to the hotel in Greece to shower, but my skin felt gross. Washing quickly, I cut the shower and toweled off in a flash before sliding on the prepared clothes. Alice was about to knock on the door when I flung it open, my hair wrapped up turban style as I darted for my dirty clothes bag.

"Oh no! We have to do something with that hair!" she cried.

"Alice its fine; I just needed to shower before we sat on an overcrowded plane." God knows I would have probably made people want to jump out of the windows with my night sweat ridden smell.

"But you just can't wear it down and wet." She was into a full on pout at this point. How did Edward put up with this again?

I simply grumbled and unraveled the towel from my hair, tossing it to the bed as I grabbed my phone and my door key from the dresser. I was perfectly content with just letting it go today, it wasn't like I had many choices. The air could do the work that I didn't have the time for.

Throwing the strap to my camera bag over my head and palming the handle to my suitcase, I signaled to her I was ready to go. She visibly cringed at me before grabbing her array of luggage and bags. I laughed once she had them all in hand. Alice looked like a twig trying to carry a house load of her belongings.

"Do you want me to page a bell boy?" I asked, snickering as I did.

"No," she huffed. She dropped her bags all at once, shaking the floor a little with the sudden weight and she reached for her cell phone.

**EPOV**

They were running late. _Typical women…_

I glanced at the face of my watch after growing bored of observing people load onto the shuttle for the airport. Granted it was only 6:05, but we did have a deadline; the plane for Greece was leaving at eight sharp. I rubbed my bloodshot eyes with two fingers in an attempt to remove the last bit of tiredness from them. Staying out late last night was not the part that had burned me out, but the many hours of lying in bed staring at the ceiling had. It was different from when I had arrived in Rome. I wasn't in pain or really worried about anything at all, but simply in bliss and thinking about how the night had gone with Bella. I felt the tingle in the center of my palm that thoughts of her provoked. The electricity between our hands was more than palpable; there was no way she couldn't feel it too.

My phone chimed in my pocket with the sound of birds chirping, which could only mean one person in the world was calling me. I pushed the send button and put the phone to my ear, a grin splitting my face.

"The shuttle will leave without you two you know."

"Yes I know," Alice huffed. "Come help me with some of my bags."

"While I would love to, unfortunately for you I'm already seated and prepared to leave. Call a bus boy; I'm sure he'd be happy to help."

"But you're my brother!" she whined.

"You should know how to be timely, sister mine. Call a bus boy and I'll let a chaperone know you're on your way." To prevent further arguing, I ended the call before she could retort. That will teach her a lesson.

After what seemed like an eternity, I heard the clicking of Alice's heels in the shuttle's corridor approaching where I sat. I called her name softly as she searched for a seat, frowning inwardly that Bella was not behind her. She daintily took the seat beside me and crossed her legs despite the lack of proper leg room. I cleared my throat to get her attention, and when she turned to face me, her face looked rather bored.

"Good morning to you too sunshine," she smiled sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Alice; you really should learn to be ready on time." I took her hand and smiled my biggest smile for her.

"I wasn't the one who was late!" She protested as the shuttle began to move. "Bella was the one that overslept, not me."

"Speaking of which…where is she?" I tried to keep my tone light in an attempt to sound not too curious.

"She's on the other shuttle with Angela and Ben."

"Oh." The disappointment seeped into the tiny word before I could recover.

"Attached already? Well this is something new." Alice quirked her eyebrow at me in accusation.

I wasn't exactly known to be the relationship type; more of a get in, get what I could and get gone type of guy if the truth be told. The last real relationship I had was with Tanya, but she moved to Alaska with her parents in freshman year. Three years of being with the same girl…lost to the snow drifts of the Denali.

"I'm not attached, just wondering," I retorted, letting go of her hand and facing the window.

"I believe you." It was clear by the sarcasm in her voice that she did not.

**BPOV**

The flight from Rome was shorter than I had originally anticipated. It felt like we had spent more time waiting in the terminal than in the air. I spotted Alice while we were waiting for the plane in Rome, giving her and Edward a quick wave while I dragged my hair brush through my drying hair. Angela and Ben found Mike and Jessica and flagged them down to join our little grouping. Apparently Jess had gotten over her pseudo issues with me. Her tone was lighter and she carried on conversation with me like nothing had happened. I didn't miss that her arms were wound tightly around Mike's waist the whole time we were talking.

I looked out the window as the bus passed through downtown Athens, making its way south to the hotels at Alimos Beach. The strip of shoreline was the closest beach to the city, and I assumed since it was summer that the trip had some included beach time. I was excited that today was our free day, and more than ready to walk along the beach with my toes in the water.

The bus came to a stop in front of a tall white hotel building with a huge set of modern glass doors. Everyone filed down the aisle, buzzing with excitement to get out and explore for the day. Angela and I grabbed our bags from the driver unloading storage, before making our way through the air conditioned lobby to the front desk.

I looked around at the interior design while she checked in for us and got our room key. The whole lobby was decorated with modern furniture and light colors. The contrast of light and darks combined with the huge skylight was amazing. From the front desk, you could see the lighted bar that occupied the lounge in the next room.

"Let's go Bella," Angela said, touching my arm lightly.

A bell boy greeted us in the elevator as the doors opened up. Rolling our luggage in, Angela gave him our floor number and I watched as he pushed the corresponding button. It glowed blue, which was unusual enough, but after looking at it further I realized it was shaped like a fish. After a few moments, the bell chimed and the doors opened again, revealing a narrow hallway lined with doors. I heard the bell boy bid us farewell as we made our way to our room. The door was situated at the end of the hallway, holding a door plate with Greek and English letters. The door lock beeped as Angela slid the card into the slot and retrieved it again before turning the handle.

The light from the balcony door illuminated the room before us, causing the paint on the walls to seem much brighter than its actual color. The sun kissed the golden bed coverings, making them shimmer as we moved towards them. An aura of luxury and opulence exuded from the space and I was amazed that the school would pick such a place for us to stay without us having to pay a ridiculous extra fee. Angela dropped her bags quickly on her bed and tore off to look at the bathroom. I sat my bags down slowly, drawn to the wispy curtains that covered the huge doors to the balcony.

I ran my palms across the fabric reverently before pulling it to the side to reveal the door handle. Quickly unlatching the lock, I threw the door to the right almost knocking it off the sliders to get out onto the balcony. I could hear Angela's squeals of delight in the bathroom fading into the background as the waves played their chorus outside.

The smell of sea salt and sand assaulted my nose as I stepped out onto the concrete surface. I could see the sea from as high up as we were, beyond the white railing and over the trees that lined the beach. While we had the ocean at First Beach back in Forks, it was nothing compared to the view I witnessed now. The Pacific was cold and frightening with its choppy waves and threatening dark waters. The Aegean Sea however was calm and peaceful. Waves lapped at the shore gently, pulling the white sand into its crystal blue waters. Hundreds of beach goers with their deep tan bodies lined the sand with their umbrellas fanned out for shade. It looked like a kaleidoscope of colors cozying up to an endless stretch of blue.

"Oh my God." Angela's words held the same tone of amazement and wonder as my thoughts. "This place is so beautiful; I seriously can not believe we are here."

I simply nodded, still too stunned at how perfect everything seemed.

"You should see the bathroom. It makes you feel like you're taking a bath out there." I watched as she pointed out to the sea to my right.

"We have a bathtub?"

"Yeah, you should come see it. It's really huge; I think the two of us could fit in it together plus some." She grabbed my wrist and softly tugged my arm, urging me to follow her. I took one last longing look to the sea before finally turning back into the hotel room.

The bathroom was all she had played it up to be. A huge Jacuzzi tub sat in the far corner, framed by deep blue and black tiles cascading up the wall. Directly across from the tub was a large window that took up the entire wall. It faced the sea and from the vantage point of inside of the tub you could only see the water and the horizon line. There was a glass separator that divided the tub from the toilet area, but the glass was clear.

"That's pretty pointless, and slightly dangerous," I declared, pointing to the clear pane.

"No, watch this!" Angela hit a switch on the wall and the glass went from clear to opaque. _Nifty._

Walking back out of the bathroom, I headed back to my luggage in search of beachwear. I thought back to the thong bikini Jessica had thrown in the pile of clothes I'd bought in Port Angeles and shuddered. I was so glad that I had my trusty one piece with me that left everything up the imagination. There was no way in hell I was wearing a bikini anywhere in public. My stomach convulsed at just the thought of it. I fished the navy blue material out and held it up for inspection. This poor thing was so old and faded, but it would fit. I hadn't grown any in the past two years for it not to.

"Bella, you seriously aren't going to wear that out to the beach are you?" Angela mocked me from her bed.

I snuffed in defiance. "I most certainly am. I didn't bring anything else."

I passed by her in route to the bathroom with my bathing suit and sunscreen in hand. She snatched the material as I walked by, laughing and dancing around on her bed while I protested. When I would get close to grabbing it, she'd bounce away, dangling the bathing suit in her hand.

"Come on Angela! I want to get to the beach sometime today!"

"In this?! Bella, we helped you buy new bathing suits in Port Angeles. Why didn't you pack them?"

I needed any kind of excuse. "They all made me look big." I hugged my stomach for extra believability.

Angela hopped from the bed to the floor and snatched up my arm, dragging me to the bathroom. She grabbed the edges of my shirt and pulled it up swiftly, revealing the albino skin of my stomach.

"You are not fat Bells. There is nothing big about your body unless of course you're comparing yourself to that twig Lauren Mallory. But that's beside the point. You're gorgeous, and you don't need to hide all of that under this." She gestured from me to my old bathing suit in her hand.

"I have a couple of bathing suits with me, but I don't think the top would fit." She was being gracious; she was smaller all over than me.

"Can I at least wear mine today? I promise I'll get a new one tomorrow." Truth was I probably wouldn't get time to go to the beach tomorrow.

"Nope, not going to happen. We're going to find a replacement." She smiled as she walked back into our room and snatched up my cell phone.

**EPOV**

The smell of lamb and peppers tickled my nose before I took a hearty bite of my gyro. Melting feta oozed out of the corner of my mouth, which I promptly licked off before it could fall on my clothes. Fresh gyros were one of my many memories of Greece and the smell was all the more reason to make a beeline for the small shop that was selling them across from our hotel. I didn't even stick around long enough to unpack with my sister. One sniff and a stomach rumble later, and I was out the door.

The shiny paper wrapped around my little slice of heaven kept reflecting every bit of the summer sunlight. Out in the open sun right on the beach, I had no umbrella to shade me on the wooden bench. Granted, I could have rented one if it was truly necessary and sat in the sand, but I didn't feel the need.

My phone chimed in my pocket with a text message alert. I was forced to wipe my grease ridden hand on my swim shorts before seeking the thing out. After a bit of button pushing I saw the message.

'Going to shop for a little bit. Meet me at the beach in a half an hour. Love A.'

"Shopping," I said out loud to no one in particular. I typed back a message while rolling my eyes. 'You need shopping like you need a hole in the head. Bring me a towel when you come. I'm already at the beach.'

I sent the message and tucked the phone back into my pocket. Polishing off the rest of my meal, my stomach finally protested that it was satisfied. I sighed in contentment, balling up the aluminum wrapping paper and tossing it into the wastebasket next to me. I eyed the sparkling water beyond the stretch of sand covered in tanning bodies. While I wanted to swim and escape the heat for awhile, I couldn't leave my shirt, my phone and my money unattended. My mother's warning from childhood bounced around in my head as well. _Wait an hour after you eat to swim or else you'll cramp up._ I chuckled at the stern reminder. One time when we were little, Alice hadn't minded what mother had said so Esme yanked her out of the water so fast it made my sister throw up. It was disgusting but hilarious all at the same time.

I resolved to sit out on the sand and get off of this hard bench. I rose and stretched; my back popping deliciously in the process and made my way to the white Alimos Beach. The sand was warm from the sun hanging high overhead. I could feel it rush under my feet in my flip flops as I trudged across the shifting surface. The smell of the sea was much stronger now that I was away from the gyro stand. It whisked up my nose, mixing with the smells of tanning oils, sunscreen and seaweed.

I stripped off my shirt and kicked off my shoes as I settled to the earth, digging my toes into the warm grainy substance surrounding me. While I had been to Greece as a kid, we had never been to the main land. Alimos Beach was lighter in color than the beaches of Santorini and the sun glared off the sand while I tried to shield my eyes from it with my sunglasses. I remembered jumping from the cliffs with the locals in Santorini and nearly giving my parents heart failure when I told them about it. It was perfectly safe considering I was such a good swimmer…oh ye of little faith.

A few moments later, I spotted Alice making her way onto the beach, trailed by a pack of people with towels and bottled waters. Jasper was next to her, carrying a bag full of beach towels in one hand while holding her hand in his other. My protective instincts flared to life when I saw what she was wearing. The little scrap of purple and sequined fabric didn't even constitute as a bathing suit for her. The top portion barely covered her chest and the bottom was so low cut it revealed almost everything. She still considered it her one piece, only because of the strip of fabric that ran down her midriff.

I whistled loudly in my signature high pitch tone so she would notice where I was. She turned quickly in my direction, motioning to the others to follow suit as she made her way towards me. The others followed, and I could see Ben and Angela as well as three more people behind them.

"Hey Edward." Alice greeted me in a chipper tone and tossed me my towel. She took note of my lack of a shirt. "Sunbathing already?"

"Not like I could go in the water yet," I glared at her.

"Why not?" The slightly chubby blonde boy questioned me. I watched as his girlfriend ogled over me openly before looking me dead in the eyes and turning away.

"You should ask Alice about that," I smirked sarcastically. I watched Alice's back stiffen at the mention of her name as she spread out her towel.

"Okay. Why can't he go in the water Alice?" The way the boy asked the question made him sound unintelligent and awkward addressing my sister.

"It's nothing…really Mike." Alice sputtered out a make shift answer before throwing daggers at me with her eyes. The boy named Mike shrugged before he and his girlfriend sauntered off to the umbrella rental stand.

I turned my head to my right where Ben and Angela were fanning out their towels. I greeted them warmly, and noticed the other figure unwrap a towel from around her shoulders. The curtain of brown waves moved as she flipped the mass over the opposite shoulder, revealing Bella's face with her pink tinted cheeks.

**BPOV**

This was completely and utterly embarrassing. I kept staring at the sun bleached ground in front of my toes, hiding behind my curtain of hair and my massive beach towel. But I had reached the point I could hide no longer. If I stalled any further, they would probably tackle me to the ground and rip my protective towel from my grasp.

I'd vehemently refused to buy the bikini in the first place, but Alice told me that my refusal was futile and she would pay for the two little scraps of fabric. After about fifteen minutes of locking myself in the hotel room's bathroom, Alice and Angela promised to at least make the situation more bearable by making me 'carefree'. Carefree indeed…the few shots of liquor may have calmed my nerves some, but I was far from carefree.

When we made it to the beach, I still had the towel wrapped around me. I kept telling myself in my head that I was invisible; no one could see me even though I could see them. It felt like there were a thousand eyes on me, but as I looked from person to person, they all stared out to the rolling waves.

The keening sound of a whistle had whipped me out of my imaginings, only to realize with absolute horror where the noise was coming from. Edward sat in the sand alone, swimming trunks covering part of his long legs and his bronze hair blowing in the breeze. His upper body was completely bare as the sunlight cast its rays onto his broad chest and muscular arms. I couldn't help but gawk at his defined body as he turned toward us. Even the marble statues in museums didn't have the chiseled appeal that Edward possessed. He was magnificent and sexy all wrapped up into one enticing package.

Now here I was, a mere six feet from his god-like body, completely afraid to reveal my own.

I watched as my toes sunk into the sand, enveloping them in the hot grainy texture as it poured over each toe. I secretly wished it was quick sand; that it would engulf my entire body and drag me and my towel under the ground so I could just disappear. The sand stopped moving once it had barely covered the tops of my feet and I cursed it in my mind. There was no way I was getting out of this.

Keeping my eyes to the ground and hidden behind my sunglasses, I loosened the towel so it fell off of my shoulders. The sunrays instantly warmed the skin it touched and I was relieved I'd put on sunscreen. My sunburn from Rome had finally faded, but I was still white as a bed sheet. It didn't help ease my fears that both Alice and Angela had picked out a white bikini. I had heard many horror stories about white bathing suits from guys around my school, but both girls assured me that this would not be a problem.

The cumbersome masses of hair, while providing a great shield from onlookers, presented a stifling trap of heat as I hid underneath of its weight. I flipped it all to one side, remembering now that Edward denied me the luxury of a hair tie. I cursed again, wondering if he was watching my ridiculous attempt at hiding. I didn't dare look though, that would have set me over the edge.

_Just do it quick and it won't hurt, like a band-aid. _I gave myself a pep talk. _You can do this, deep breaths. _

I shut my eyes and prepared for the screams of horror as I removed the towel from my body. The cotton cloth caressed my skin as I pulled it from around me and I visibly shook with fear when the barrier was gone. I felt naked and exposed, like I was prancing around the beach in my underwear. After fanning out the towel over the hot sand, I risked glancing around to see if anyone was watching me now that I was no longer covered. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I realized none of the beachgoers had noticed.

I lowered myself to my towel cautiously and tried to relax. I could hear my group chatting among themselves as they finally settled on their own little stretches of sand. The sun felt like it was baking me slowly despite the sunscreen I'd slathered on this morning. My glasses provided little protection from the glow, forcing me to raise my hand to my brow to shield my face from the blinding light.

_THUNK! _

The loud noise landed and vibrated the ground behind me, causing me to scream in shock before I realized what had happened. Mike struggled to drive the pole of the umbrella into the ground with his upper body. I clapped my hands over my mouth, silencing the noise exploding from inside of me as I looked at his worried face.

"Are you okay Bella? I figured you'd need this more than the rest of us." He looked concerned and slightly amused.

I pulled my hands from my mouth and smiled sarcastically. "Yes, thank you," I replied with a smart ass tone.

He turned to face the rest of our gang. "I'm going to get in the water; anyone else coming?"

"I'm going to get another umbrella." I heard Edward announce as he got up to leave.

I kept my jaw locked tight and my lips sealed as everyone else agreed it was time to escape the heat of the sun. Angela paused to look at me with pity in her eyes before joining everyone in making their way to the waves. They all splashed in at once, disrupting the peacefulness of the sea by throwing handfuls of water at each other. Jasper and Alice dove under an incoming wave and swam out further than the rest the group to be alone and away from the water fight. I had to smile; they were so cute together, even when everyone was watching.

I rolled over onto my stomach, deciding it was best to get some sun on my back as well as my front before crawling to the safety of the shade. I closed my eyes, resting my head on my arm and listened to the sounds around me. The sea made a soft whooshing sound as background noise while the people's voices played out as a mid tone. The occasional sea bird would trill in overhead as it flew off into the distance, providing just the right amount of treble to the beach symphony. I smiled as I started envisioning the colors I would use if I was painting something for this tune. Pale blues, tans and pale greens would dominate the pallet and I debated for a while if I would include the colorful umbrellas in my masterpiece.

I felt the sand shift around my elbows before I felt the water droplets hit my hot skin. A small snicker from my right sounded like one of Mike's sneaky laughs.

"Mike, I swear if you dump water on me I'm going to kill you," I spat out venomously.

The chuckling stopped for a long moment then more cold water drops came, landing on my legs this time. I rolled over and opened my eyes to look for the pestering prick so I could take out one of his ankles, but the sun blinded me. Tearing the glasses from my face, I rubbed my eyes furiously with my fingers in an attempt to clear my vision. The sand and salt that was on my fingers seeped into my eyes and burned like a bitch. I cursed, extending my arms out to feel for Mike's position around me.

Suddenly I was grabbed by the ankles and at my wrists and yanked up from my position on the ground. Everything was still black, but I could hear Mike guffawing near my feet as we began to move. I thrashed and kicked as if my life depended on it, shouting obscenities as tears started to flow down my cheeks.

"Fucking put me down Mike! I can't see you dumb shit!" I tried to thrust my foot into his stomach with no success. My efforts only earned me more laughter and a tighter grip on my ankles.

"Maybe this isn't such a great idea Mike." I could hear the shakiness of Ben's voice, which paled in comparison to the terrifying sound that overpowered him in my ears: Splashing water.

"Of course it's a great idea, it's the only way she's getting in the water," Mike sneered. "Right Bells? You won't know if it's going to hurt you 'til you try it."

I started screaming bloody murder as the tears flowed like rivers from my eyes. _Why was no one coming to help me?_ I opened my eyes, but my vision was still blurry from the amount of water pooling on their surface. I could make out the outline of Mike at my feet and the sky above him. My voice grew hoarse from my shrieking so I reduced myself to begging as they swung me back and forth like a piece of meat.

"Please Mike...please don't do this," I pleaded.

"Throw her out pretty far okay? On the count of three!" he yelled to Ben.

I tried to scream over him but my voice was completely gone. My ankles ached from his iron grip and my wrists were sore from twisting. Mike started the impending countdown and heaved me back and forth with increasing swings.

1…

2…

3…

The last swing forward propelled me into the air higher than I thought was possible. My eye sight cleared as I looked up to the sky and clouds above me. All I could do was stare up at them in those brief milliseconds that I hovered in space. I was in such a state of shock that I realized I hadn't taken a breath before I was released. My arms and legs flailed out, trying to correct my body before the fall. I felt the sharp stinging my back hit and heard the crash of water over me before my brain registered my decent. The blue waves moved to fill the void I'd created by falling into the liquid, covering me completely as I hit the bottom. My head fell back, smacking the sea floor before I became weightless. Nothing registered for me to fight to the surface as I stared at the turquoise colors above me, watching as they slowly faded to black.

* * *

**Hope you have a Happy Holiday! I'll be off of work (read: 11 days to write) so I'm hoping to get the next chapter up ASAP.**

**Reviews are always appreciated around here. :) **


End file.
